Another Form Of Power
by Jade Tatsu
Summary: In the wake of All Might's rejection, Izuku goes with Sensei. From there the world is changed. Sensei has many quirks and many plans. Tomura is the obvious plan, the one everyone focuses on. Izuku is the hidden plan, the one that bides its time before striking when you least expect it. Both have power and purpose but only one needs to succeed. Villain! Adult! Izuku AU
1. Part 1: Prologue

**Prologue**

It was a quirk of fate that brought him to this roof today. The man's lips stretched at his thought. It was actually three quirks which had brought him here today, and his own desire. Distant Eye allowed him to see the events, because sometimes he liked to check in on his Nemesis. Hear All allowed him to hear what was said, because while he used to be able to lip read, his eyes just weren't what they used to be. And Warp Gate, used by his servant Kurogiri had actually provided the transport.

He looked down at the boy, ignoring the sun on his back. It was somewhat nice to be out but he wasn't here for personal enjoyment. He was here for the boy, for the spark he'd seen in the young eyes.

He thanked fate not for the quirk that had made him look but for the timing.

"Heroes can be so cruel," he said softly.

As expected the boy flinched. He hadn't been aware anyone was present on the rooftop. Then watery green eyes looked up at him. The man frowned beneath his mask. How did he know the eyes were green? His vision wasn't that precise. He decided that they must be truly viridescent if he could perceive that with his damaged vision.

"He means well, but he often doesn't think of the consequences," the man said further, extending a few tendrils of power. From the earlier conversation he knew the boy was quirkless, he wasn't feeling for any quirk. No this time he was extending his own, though…

Again the man smiled. The turmoil inside the boy would make it easy. He couldn't force any change of heart but his quirk let him know exactly what the boy was thinking, it let him know exactly what to say to get results. And right now, with the boy's mind in turmoil, now was the time to sow the seeds of change.

"You heard?" The question was timid.

"I heard." There was no use denying it.

"Did you see?"

The man frowned. Had he seen? Oh… had he seen the state the supposed Number One Hero was in? "Yes, but I have known for a while now. I imagine it came as a shock to you?" It was a gentle question, asked with the merest hint of power.

"Yes."

The man could hear the way the boy swallowed. It sounded distinctly slimy but that was normal. The boy had been crying.

"He means well," the man said, "but he forgets the lessons of the past."

He felt the boy move, tilting his head slightly to ask the question.

"He forgets that there is more to being a hero than just a quirk."

Those green eyes blinked. It was almost incredulous. "Then… do you?" Again the question was timid and tentative. Again it was unclear but the man had long been able to interpret such things.

"No," he said sincerely, "but I do not know you," he added before the boy could collapse again. Having your dreams cutaway was painful, especially for one so young. "And I have never understood why people want to be heroes," he said, probing to see the boy's reaction.

"But heroes save people!" The boy was quick to defend them. "Heroes help people, and I want to help people."

"Ah," the man sighed. The most pure reason to want to be a hero. To his active quirks the boy almost shone with sincerity. It was nice to see such conviction. It would be lovely to see it harnessed to his cause. "There are other ways to help people."

The boy deflated. "Yeah, a police officer," he said. There was a tiny edge to his voice.

The man didn't smile but inwardly he was pleased. "He told you that?"

"Yes."

"No imagination," the man sighed. "And very pedestrian. There are other ways, ways which would help far more people than simply being a hero or a police officer, though both are important."

The boy frowned at him. To his quirks he could feel the confusion radiating from the boy's mind. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly that. A hero helps people but they also are acclaimed for doing it. A policeman helps people but again, they are acclaimed for it. Not as much as a hero but they still do get the acclaim yet they only save one person at a time, or at the most, a few. Yet there are others who save hundreds at time, maybe thousands and they are overlooked."

He could feel the boy thinking but there was something else in the boys mind. It was small, barely there and with what he had seen of the child's nature, it probably wouldn't blossom but maybe he could help it along.

"A hero uses their quirk, uses their power. The same with a policeman. They use their equipment," the man explained. "But they are both controlled by others."

"The Hero Public Safety Bureau?" the boy asked.

The man nodded slightly, accepting the answer. "But who controls them?" The HPSB was a government group, run by the government, no matter which party was in power, for the benefit of the people. That's why Heroes weren't allowed to be on their board.

"The Government," the boy replied.

"Very good!" It was odd to feel the flash of pleasure the boy felt at such faint praise. Or maybe not. The man couldn't see much but he could determine a lot. Quirkless meant consequences after all. "And who controls the police?" He pressed.

"The Government," the boy again answered.

"So you see?" The man asked.

The boy didn't get it. That was okay, it was one of those things many people didn't understand. They simply saw the flashiness of heroes. They didn't see the reality, they didn't see the rules and regulations that went with the costumes. They didn't see the coverups, but they weren't meant to see them.

"Don't you think the organisation responsible for making sure there are Heroes, and Police, and medics, and rescue services and everything else is really the one saving people?" It was not the strongest argument, but with the boy's current mental state, it would suffice. His trust in heroes had been ripped away. Really, if the plans he had tentatively forming for this boy worked in the way he hoped they would, he was going to have to thank his nemesis for this gift.

"Oh…" The boy nodded. "So it's about power." The boy connected the information to what he'd been told earlier.

"Yes. Heroes use their power to save people, but it is one at a time. The Government uses the power it has to save everyone, so who do you think is more powerful? Who do you think saves the most people? Those who get the acclaim, or those who do the work?"

He paused, letting the boy think about that for a moment.

"So, if you really want to help people, which do you think you should be?"

"The government," the answer was somewhat weak but the reasoning was firm. It would become stronger over time. "But I…"

The man frowned slightly. "You?"

"I don't know how to try that."

The man laughed. Such a petty obstacle. "I do," he replied. "And I'm willing to help you, if you can help me."

"You can?"

"I can, if you help me." He reached out with a particular quirk, reading the boy's mind. He couldn't force the decision but he did know exactly what words to say.

"Then, you will be the first person I help!" The boy declared.

All for One smiled and held out his hand. "Call me Sensei, Izuku Midoriya, and I will help you get everything you've ever wanted."

The boy reached out his hand. The size difference was large. All For One didn't mind.

The boy was his now.


	2. Part 1: Chapter 1

Italic scenes are entries in Kurogiri's diary, because of all the League, he's one of the few who have seen it all! This note applies for the entire fic.

 **Chapter 1**

 _Sensei picked up a new kid today. Fourteen. Quirkless. I got a room ready for him and have already adjusted the bar's shipping manifest. Going to need more juice and milk now with a minor here, though Sensei says he won't be here for long._

 _Sensei seemed to be expecting him. All for One doesn't have many tells but when things go exactly the way he planned, there's a small smile on his face of satisfaction. He wants this kid for something. Something different than what he has planned for Tomura. The kid isn't fighting though, not screaming. He seems slightly wary and uncertain, and a bit sad but not afraid, so he's here because he wants to be. That's good, though I shouldn't be surprised. The kid's here, which means he's not some experiment, he's not meant to become a Noumu._

 _Tomura disintegrated two controllers when the kid came in. Sensei talked to him about something and that settled him. I hope the new kid isn't as high maintenance._

-afop-

Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi looked at the class. Their teacher had introduced him and they were somewhat quiet in his presence and a few of them looked at the desk that was empty. He knew who that desk belonged to. Izuku Midoriya. Age 14, quirkless.

The current theory was that he'd run away but his mother insisted that he wouldn't. Except all parents did that. Even so it was the main theory, though currently even the Chief had to admit he didn't know why. Routine investigation into Midoriya's home life indicated no reason there. His mother was genuinely distraught at his disappearance. Tsukauchi knew that was the case. She had no idea why he would run away and she genuinely believed he hadn't.

So that's why he was here, looking over the class. If it wasn't home life, then maybe there was a reason here Midoriya had run away. He wished he could talk to them one to one, then he'd be able to know if they were telling the truth but there just wasn't enough time and with no ransom note and no other information…

"As you are aware, your classmate has gone missing," he started. They were all aware of that. "It is important for you to come forward if you know anything about that," he continued. These weren't primary school children. They were 14, almost 15, they knew what missing meant. He didn't have to take it quite as softly as he would have if they were younger.

There was a snort from the back. Tsukauchi felt his eyes shift to the speaker. He was blond and it looked as if the scowl was a permanent feature. "What's Deku done now?" The brat demanded.

Naomasa resisted the urge to sigh. He assumed Deku was some kind of nick name, though with the way the kid said it, it didn't sound as if it was one of friendship. "Izuku Midoriya has gone missing," he said, as if talking to a kid far younger than the one here, though his mind was analysing the situation. There was nothing at home to cause Izuku to run but maybe there was something there. He cast an eye at the teacher. The man didn't appear surprised at the attitude, so this was normal.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Attention grabber," he muttered.

"Do you know anything?" Naomasa pressed.

"As if I'd know anything! Deku will show up in a few days. He just wants the attention."

"That may be," Tsukauchi replied, "but we are looking for him now." He cast his eyes over the rest of the glass. "If any of you know anything, I ask you to tell me."

Silence greeted his request. He figured he wasn't going to get anything this way. "If not me, then tell your teacher who can pass the information on to me," he added.

The kids just stared at him. He didn't expect anything but he had to try.

For Izuku's sake.

-afop-

 _I must admit to some mild surprise. The kid hasn't been that much trouble. He's stayed inside. Sensei's orders, he said and Sensei confirmed that. It's not hard to see why with the attention. Green hair, green eyes, and no quirk. The kid's wanted, and not in the way we are wanted. Missing person, Izuku Midoriya._

 _Though it is interesting. If the kid's genuinely quirkless, he would make a good addition to the Noumu program. It usually takes the addition of two to three quirks to break someone, then adding the rest is easy. And Sensei sculps them to be somewhat recognisable._

 _That's all part of the plan, obviously. But I wonder, if the process was applied to a quirkless individual… how many quirks would it take to break them? One, because they aren't meant to have them… or many, because the lack of quirk means they can accept them all?_

 _Still, if the kid was going to be a Noumu, he wouldn't be here and that's all I need to know. I've amended the ordering schedule for the bar to account for an extra person living here full time. Thankfully the kid isn't picky about food._

 _Izuku has played a few games with Tomura. Tomura won and if the kid lost deliberately, he had the sense not to make it obvious. Mostly he's been reading his tablet. Even in the bar, the few times he's come out from his room. From what I've seen, he's reading political news, both for Japan and around the world. Some of the articles are old but he's studying them anyway. I think Sensei is testing him on them._

 _The kid asked for some notebooks. They are on the next order for the bar. Giran looked surprised when it was phoned in. He usually has to get console controllers. Tomura has been good lately. I'm not sure if it's because he has someone who will actually play against him and genuinely try to win but can't or something else. While Sensei did say something to Tomura about Izuku, I don't know what, and given the length of the conversation, not much could be explained._

-afop-

"Kurogiri?"

The mist bartender turned at the question. It was Izuku. He looked uncertain and was carefully looking around the bar to check how many people were there. Tomura was playing a game in the corner and some drunk was passed out at one of the tables but that was everyone. It was a little early for anyone else to have come in.

"Do you need something, Izuku?" Kurogiri asked. Dinner wasn't for a little while.

The kid looked uncomfortable and uncertain. It wasn't an expression Kurogiri had seen on Izuku's face before. It was one he should have seen but the kid was one who didn't look back once a decision was made.

"Could you arrange to get the paper in a week?" The counter question wasn't one the bartender expected.

"The paper?" he asked, his own confusion entering his tone. The bar had a standing order for supplies and the paper wasn't one of them. By the time they got it, it was out of date.

Izuku nodded. "The paper for a week from today," he said carefully.

Kurogiri thought, wondering what was so special about that paper. He couldn't think of anything. Papers were still printed but they had a very small circulation. They were mostly classifieds, births, deaths and marriages and the occasional governmental announcement. Most people got their news from the net. "I can get it," the warp villain confirmed. "Why do you want it?" He couldn't help the curious question.

Izuku smiled at him, relaxing slightly. "The High School results," he chirped.

Suddenly the desire for the paper made a lot more sense. While most High Schools notified those who passed their entrance exams directly, there was a public listing of positions published in the paper for those curious. It was sort of like a government announcement. "Did you apply?" he asked.

The boy gave a quick bark of laughter. "No," he shook his head, his green curls moving slightly. His hair had gotten longer since he'd been here. "I want to see who got into UA."

Kurogiri blinked and then he reinterpreted the answer. Izuku didn't want to see who got into UA because most of the names would mean nothing to him. He was looking for a specific name. The request was somewhat comforting now that Kurogiri knew that. It meant Izuku hadn't just materialised. He did have a life before coming here, though it appeared to be a life he was willing and able to give up.

"I'll get the paper," the bartender assured him.

Izuku smiled again. It was his genuine smile. The one that said he was pleased. "Thank you," he said and Kurogiri could tell the words just weren't a formulae. Izuku really did mean them.

Kurogiri wasn't sure what this meant but he would get the paper, and then he'd watch Izuku some more. It could be revealing.

-afop-

 _Sensei told me to amend the bar order again. High protein, high calcium, high calorie foods. Plus an assortment of multivitamins and some pretty hefty painkillers. Enough for one. It's not for him. If it was, the Doctor would get them. Giran will just have to cope. We are paying him, after all._

 _The kid is spending at least an hour a day talking with Sensei. It's safe for him to be seen in the bar. The search for him was over pretty quick. No one said it but the conclusion is simple. The poor quirkless boy went off to die somewhere, or just went… No great loss to society and the world moved on._

 _Tomura is getting angsty about the time Sensei is spending with Izuku but he's focusing on UA. With All Might teaching there, we have a chance to test the Noumu. Tomura thinks it will be enough. I suspect it won't. All Might may be weakening as Sensei indicates, but he hasn't kept his position as Number 1 Hero because he is weak, and the tabloids and 'net do not have even a whisper of weakness._

 _Even so, I am watching Tomura. Izuku is getting special treatment from Sensei and that's going to cause issues._

-afop-

Kurogiri looked at the poster. The corners were lifting and the wind was tugging at it but the image and writing was legible. It was a black and white picture of a happy looking teenager. The letters under it were large 'MISSING'. There was a phone number under a basic description of Izuku. There was no mention that he was quirkless.

He felt non existent lips quirk. It was almost as if Izuku was a puppy. He was pretty sure if he peeled back the posters on the wall, he could find at least one for a missing pet. Though it was curious. This wasn't a good part of town, and it wasn't close to where Izuku used to live. How had the poster gotten here?

"Please?" A voice came from the side.

Kurogiri was surprised. Someone had snuck up on him. That usually didn't happen. He turned, standing tall before looking at who spoke. The voice had been tentative and not aggressive. It wasn't an attack, though the thugs around here knew better than to attack him.

A woman stood there. She was simply dressed in a plain straight skirt, a shirt and a cardigan. She looked like a housewife. She was slightly plump and her green eyes were... eerily reminiscent of Izuku's.

"Ma'am?" Kurogiri questioned.

The woman sniffed and nodded. "Please, have you seen him?" she asked, her hand trembling as she pointed out the poster.

Kurogiri noted the satchel she was carrying. The flap was open and he could see a sheaf of posters in there, along with some glue. Understanding filled him. This was Izuku's mother. Izuku looked very much like her. "You shouldn't be here, Ma'am. It's not safe," he told her.

She shook her head. "Please! Have you seen him?" Her question was desperate.

The mist villain looked back at the poster. "I'm sorry Ma'am, I haven't," he lied to her. It was easy when you were mostly incoporal to lie.

The woman sniffed, almost hiccuping. "You shouldn't be here," Kurogiri repeated.

Again, she shook her head. This was a bad area, and it wasn't like she was dressed richly. On clothes she wouldn't stand out but she lacked a certain hardness that all natives to the area had, and that would mark her as an outsider.

"Let me walk you to the station," he pressed.

"But I…" She wiped tears from her eyes with one hand as the other reached for her posters.

"This one is still here," Kurogiri said kindly. "And shouldn't the police-"

There was a flare in her green eyes that Kurogiri recognised. Sometimes Izuku's would look like that. He knew better than to press, though now he knew where Izuku got some of his stubbornness from. "I will make sure it remains here," he said instead.

"Thank you," the words were genuine. Kurogiri was surprised. "I just," she sniffed again. "I just want my boy home," she said.

Kurogiri nodded. She wasn't going to get her wish. Izuku was with the League now but, he could sympathise. He wouldn't act of course but he could understand her desire. In a world where they didn't exist, Izuku would have stayed with her.

"Let me walk you to the station," he repeated. Izuku had never spoken about his family. Kurogiri knew from the news reports about him going missing that he lived with his mother and it was nice, in a way, that even after the police had given up, she hadn't. Izuku had a good mother. He should make sure she got home safely.

The League owed her that much.

-afop-

 _The high protein, high calorie, high calcium food is for Izuku. It's the first time I've seen him show some reaction towards food but he ate it, and drank the shake. He's been taking the vitamins as well. He's been getting chubby as a result but doesn't stop taking them. Sensei has told me to keep ordering them as well. That we will need more. I don't know what for._

 _Beyond that, Tomura is both predictable and vicious. Vicious is a good trait to have in our line of work. Sensei never berates him for anything. Predictable is far less desirable but perhaps I see it because of familiarity. Case in point, the information about UA's Heroics 1A class interested him for a while, but he remained fixated on the bigger issue. Izuku and the attention Sensei is giving him._

 _As with all things with Tomura it came to a head quickly. Another game controller gone, and I swept today but that was just the start. Tomura has yet to learn subtlety, has yet to learn diversion. I suppose that's an aspect of the way his quirk manifests. If anything does cause him problems, then all he has to do is touch it and it disappears. He deals with people in the same way. If they annoy him, then they die._

 _Izuku hasn't done anything much to annoy him except for his interactions with Sensei. That's enough. It made Tomura jealous and his reaction was both vicious and predictable. Predictable: he attacked Izuku. Vicious: He was going for the kill._

 _Until Sensei spoke. I thought I was going to have to attempt to warp Izuku away, which is difficult when Tomura is gripping him but Sensei intervened. Tomura still listens to him._

 _Tomura dropped Izuku. The boy remained standing. It was a good effort but he gripped at his throat, rubbing it gently. Sensei told Izuku to explain to Tomura._

 _The boy nodded but what I found interesting was the way he peered around the bar, checking who was there. There was no one. Just him, Tomura and I. Izuku nodded._

 _Then he explained. The gist of it was simple. Sensei is leaving everything to Tomura. Shigaraki already knew that. What Tomura, and I must admit I, have never thought about was that everything includes the mostly legitimate businesses. Sensei's empire is more than just the underworld. The underworld generates cash but the legitimate businesses clean it, and provide their own. They provide the cover for everything. They fund the bar. With Tomura's ability to disintegrate everything… including potential customers, income wasn't that great. Tomura would get everything, including Izuku._

 _The boy didn't appear uncomfortable when he said that. Izuku's place was to control Sensei's legitimate businesses. He will run the business empire, while Tomura over saw it all._

 _It makes sense. Tomura doesn't have a head for business. Though Tomura does have a head for reality. The kid is too young. He's fourteen. No one is going to accept him as a business leader. Sensei just laughed. He had thought of that. He announced that he'd start tonight._

 _Izuku looked surprised but nodded. Tomura doesn't know what is going on._

 _Neither do I._

 **Next day**

 _I know what is happening now._

 _It's… It takes one type of person to become a hero. It takes another to become a villain._

 _And it takes something else again to be a lynchpin of change. Sensei will give Tomura everything but Izuku is the lynchpin upon which it all rests._

 _I was ordered to transport Izuku to Sensei last night. Then he ordered me to stay._

 _The room was bland. There were no cupboards, no windows, shelves or tables in there. There was only one chair, a dentist's chair in the middle of the room. It had straps on it. Thick, reinforced mesh straps. Izuku put himself in the chair without hesitation. Sensei ordered me to make sure the fastenings were secure._

 _Izuku smiled at me._

 _Then Sensei came over to Izuku. He said nothing before he raised his hand and placed it over Izuku's forehead. Sensei is a large man. Izuku is a small boy. His hand completely covered his face._

 _I'd seen that gesture before. It was the one Sensei used when he was going to take a quirk. Except Izuku didn't have a quirk. I wondered for a moment if he was going to get one, but that didn't explain the restraints._

 _Then I knew what they were for. Izuku stiffened. I think he would have screamed but his throat was as stiff as his body. The restraints were pulled tight. He strained against them. He's quirkless so he couldn't break them but I could see them digging into his pudgy flesh, biting into the fat that had accumulated with the diet he'd been eating lately. It stained the skin around them red. Not with blood, they didn't cut him, but the strain made the skin red and angry._

 _Then as I watched, Izuku seemed to change. His limbs, which had been carrying fat grew longer. The fat disappeared as his body altered. Tears ran out from under Sensei's hand and I could hear Izuku gasping for air._

 _Sensei explained. He reminded me that everyone focuses on the fact that he can take quirks and that he can give them. But mixed up in that focus is the view that he only takes strong combat quirks._

 _I had an inkling then. It was the feeling that you get when you know the future, and you know what is about to be said even if you've never thought about it before. Sensei was known for taking combat quirks but Sensei had been alive for centuries, he has taken other quirks in that time._

 _He pulled his hand away from Izuku. I looked at the boy. His eyes were wide. The green orbs were unfocused and he was gasping for air. His face was different. Older. It was the same as his limbs. He was older now. Only a few years, Sensei assured me. About sixteen Izuku said later before he confirmed he'd be there next week, if all went well._

 _And that was when I knew the plan. Tomura was right. Izuku was too young to run the commercial empire Sensei controlled. But by the time Sensei was finished, he wouldn't be._


	3. Part 1: Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Kurogiri wasn't the only one to look around when he materialised the group in one of UA's training facilities. From the information they had gathered from the schedule, this one was under the hero Thirteen's control and was called the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. The descriptions he'd read said that it was covered in different types of terrain and as he looked around he could see it was true.

He could also see the teachers. "Thirteen and Eraser Head, huh?" he voiced his thoughts. "The teacher's schedule we received the other day said All Might was also supposed to be here."

Izuku gave him a look. The man-boy was standing next to the Noumu and Kurogiri could see the way he was also looking around excitedly. He wore a mask so as to avoid any possibility of identification. His clothes were simple, like Tomura's, though slightly more formal in that his black shirt was button up, and his pants were pressed. His shoes were plain black leather. The only thing marking him out as special was that he hadn't moved with the others.

"Where is he?" Tomura muttered. "I went through the trouble of bringing this whole crowd, too…"

Kurogiri remained silent. _He'd_ brought the crowd. He didn't miss the way Izuku quirked his head slightly and could imagine the smile on the man-boy's face. He'd picked up on Tomura's statement as well.

"All Might, the Symbol of Peace. I can't believe he's not here," Tomura said, raising his arms. He was dressed plainly in a black pullover and black pants. Today, the hands that were normally attached to his body were concentrated on his upper frame and face. He didn't have a mask because he didn't need one. The hand did it all. Tomura lowered his arms, as if realising dramatic gestures here would do nothing. "I wonder if he'll come if we kill some kids?"

"Some will probably die if we carry on with the plan anyway," Izuku murmured. The statement seemed to reassure Tomura as Eraser Head jumped down the steps.

Kurogiri watched as the battle went as expected. The so called villains Tomura had gathered for this were nothing more than cannon fodder. Their job was to provide distraction. The real force was the Noumu that was still standing silently where it had emerged from his warp. He watched Eraser Head. He couldn't actually see the man's eyes, but he could feel when the Pro-Hero's gaze was no longer on him. He took the opportunity to continue the plan as Izuku said and warped away. There was no need to tell Izuku to be careful. The man-boy would be. He was just an observer this time.

The mist villain materialised near the door. He looked down at the group there. The children were running towards him but he was now between them and the door. One of the potential flaws in the plan was if someone got away. He would prevent that. "I won't let you," Kurogiri muttered, before shifting his gaze somewhat. He kept his form tall, so that he looked down at them.

"It's nice to meet you. We are the League of Villains." It was important to get that said, or who knew what name the Heroes would come up with for them! Handsy and his sidekicks? Uh, no thanks. There was at least some dignity in the League's name. The children skidded to a halt, looking up at him. Thirteen at least had the presence of mind to move to the front of the group, after all, he was the closest villain now.

"It may be presumptuous of us, but we have invited ourselves into the home of the heroes, UA High School, in order to have All Might, the Symbol of Peace, take his last breath." Except All Might wasn't here. Kurogiri didn't need to remind himself of that, but again it was best that they understood what the mission was, and how little they could do to stop it. "I believe All Might should have been here. Has there been some kind of change?" There had to have been. "Well, that is neither here nor there. This is the part I am to play."

And playing his part in the plan, even without All Might's presence would cement the League's reputation and allow them to salvage something from this day.

The two children moving to attack him was a surprise! The explosion slightly more so. And… did they really go for his neck guard? They had!

"Oh dear, that was close. That's right," Kurogiri said to himself. "Even if you are children, you are excellent golden eggs." These were UA's Heroic Course children and UA was the best Hero school in Japan. Even the children would be good. He was better.

"No! Move way, you two!"

The mist villain looked down at them. Thirteen had one arm out. A smile formed unseen on Kurogiri's face. The two children had gotten in the way of their teacher. Not that an attack from Thirteen was that dangerous. It would be to Izuku but not to him.

"My job is to scatter you all and torture you to death!" Kurogiri announced, streaming forward. Group transportation required him to create a larger portal, and in this case, they would be several portals. With all the villains he had transported here today, finding a gathering point for them where he could expand large enough to create the original portal had been a bit of a problem, until they just took over one of the empty lots in the area. If any of this lot survived today, they may be worthy of learning about the bar.

He twitched slightly, feeling a couple pass through his side, but Kurogiri couldn't focus on that as he created multiple portals and dragged them over the children. There was an odd feeling with one. He knew she was there because of the gloves but it was odd to transport an invisible person. And urgh… they felt terrible within him.

It was with some relief that Kurogiri released them all, scattering the children around the USJ facility. The rest of the villains would deal with them now. He spared a glance down the stairs towards Tomura but he was still standing with the Noumu and Izuku. That was in hand, instead, those who had remained here were talking. Thirteen was here, as well as someone dressed in white armour. They were discussing their plan?

Kurogiri blinked. Seriously? It was obviously beyond time to end this. "Even if you have no other choice, are there really idiots who talk about their plans in front of the enemy?" He drove forward.

Thirteen moved to meet him. "We did it because it doesn't matter if we're found out!" The pro-hero cried, uncapping her the tip of her right forefinger glove. There was a tug from it. Kurogiri expanded but he could feel the wisps of mist he used to define his gates being pulled in. "Black Hole!" The pro-hero cried.

It was an ameteur move to cry out the name of an attack. He thought a pro would be beyond that… though maybe All Might was a bad influence? The number one hero cried out the names of his attacks all the time… American cities… Bah. There was no difference between those attacks. They were all punches.

"Black Hole," Kurogiri said conversationally. He saw how the pro was being careful to remain in front of the children. "It sucks up everything and turns it all to dust. I see. That is an astounding quirk." He ignored the mist that was being ripped from his body as he had the irreverent thought that it would be perfect for cleaning up after Tomura. No more dust in the bar. Thirteen's quirk was powerful but the Pro-hero didn't know how to fully use it and it was time to demonstrate. "However, Thirteen, you are a hero who works to rescue people from disasters." Which was not the type of Hero the League was really after but a pro was a pro and now was not the time to differentiate. "As expected, your battle experience is less than half of that of a normal hero."

He'd planned this from the start, so it was easy to open a warp gate behind Thirteen. The effect was instantaneous.

"A warp gate?" There was panic in the pro-hero's voice.

"You turned yourself to dust," Kurogiri mocked as the back half of Thirteen's suit disintegrated. He'd seen a lot of things disintegrate thanks to Tomura. This wasn't as fine as Tomura's power but the black hole was effective.

The pull from the black hole vanished as Thirteen fell forward. "He got me…" Kurogiri heard the pro say.

Obviously not completely if the pro was still capable of speech, but she would not be continuing to fight. The children were dismayed. It was nice to see their shock, it was nice to savour their despair. Though at least one was intelligent. Kurogiri heard the footsteps and turned. The one in white armour.

One of the children who was not scattered, he thought. He had felt a few escape his earlier dome. We are only waiting for All Might. If the other teachers are called here, it will be hard for us, Kurogiri knew that. It would be a disaster if they lost either Tomura or Izuku… Probably Izuku. That would reveal far too much of Sensei's plans because the heroes would find out who he was. And from there…

Izuku wouldn't tell them but they would know. With his new age, it was impossible to hide the fact that something larger was going on. They would be suspicious. He couldn't allow that. He opened a gate in front of the running child. It was a good plan but he couldn't allow it.

"Argh!" Kurogiri cried out as something engulfed him. The sensation wasn't pleasant as things wrapped around him, forcing his form into a smaller space. "You impertinent! I will not allow you to go outside!" He kept his attention on the runner. This wasn't enough to stop him. "You impudent, four eyes! Be gone!" The child was almost at the gate. It would transport him a long way… Except!

Why was the world dropping away? "My body! Oh no!" The unfamiliar sensation blanked out his gate. That didn't matter, he could open another, he just needed to see the running boy and it would be done. Just a second…

"Urk!" The world spun. Kurogiri felt a jerk at his neck and the USJ spun around him. He tried to regain stability but the world kept spinning. One thing was clear. The door… It was open.

"He's going to call for support. It's game over." Urgh… now he was using Tomura's terms… but it was true. This mission was effectively over. But… if he went outside then… UA's security was impressive. He would be detected and that would be an even faster way to lose. They had some time now… Limited, but some.

Kurogiri left the children as he warped himself back to Izuku and Tomura. Izuku looked up at him briefly but was not surprised at his presence. Kurogiri could see that Tomura had been fighting. Pro-hero Eraser Head was very much down but he had to report.

"Tomura Shigaraki."

Tomura turned to him. "Kurogiri, did you kill Thirteen?"

"I put Thirteen out of action," Kurogiri confirmed. "But there were students that I was unable to disperse and one of them has run away."

Izuku displayed no reaction. He wasn't invested in this attack. Tomura was. He reached up and scratched at his neck. Kurogiri could tell that he was frustrated. He was as well. It should have been a simple thing to stop the children but… These were the best of the best of the future heroes. He shouldn't have underestimated them.

"Huh?" The word was practically a snarl. "You! If you weren't a warp gate I would've crushed you into pieces!" Tomura raged. It was the same rage he showed when whatever game he was playing defeated him. Then he calmed. One of the good things about Tomura was that while he was quick to anger, he was equally quick to release that anger. The resentment he felt from it would fester, but he would not lash out unless it was in the moment. "We can't win against dozens of pros. It's game over. Man, it's game over this time. Let's go home."

Izuku made a small noise. Kurogiri was slightly surprised as the man-boy's mask turned towards them. He held out one hand pointing at the Noumu who was still restraining Eraser Head. Then he pointed to the water. There were two students standing there. Their fear was palatable. The boy looked close to crying.

Tomura chuckled, obviously pleased with the suggestion. "Oh yeah, before we leave, let's smash some of his pride as the Symbol of Peace."

Kurogiri knew Tomura could be quick when the boy wanted. He was reminded of that fact now. One moment he was standing with them, the next, his outstretched hand was a millimeter from the student's faces. They hadn't moved. They hadn't even cried out so why had…

"Darn it. You really are cool, Eraser Head."

Ah, that explained it. Kurogiri glanced towards the beaten pro-hero. The red gleam in his eye was unmistakable. He'd stopped Tomura. Even beaten and bloody, the man was a pro, after all. But he couldn't keep his eyes open forever.

The crash from the far end distracted them all. The girl student had the presence of mind to jump back. The boy didn't. Tomura's hand touched his face. All five fingers. The Noumu ground Eraser Head down further.

The boy screamed. Tomura liked to say that he had no control over his quirk. That wasn't quite true. It was true that he couldn't turn it off but he could, partially at least, control its intensity. A glance at Eraser Head's elbow indicated Tomura had let his quirk be slow then. The damage was superficial. Painful but superficial, mostly extending to the pro-hero's skin. This time, his touch wasn't.

The boy's face just disappeared, allowing Tomura's grip to go tighter, to dig into his eyes. His scream became wet and his tongue distended before it disappeared. Balls were popping off the back of his head in a torrent but it did nothing. His eyes bulged and cracked and then…

Noumu was in front of Tomura, shielding him and All Might held the boy who was now gasping for air. His face was gone, leaving a bloody pulp where it used to be. He smeared blood on to All Might's shirt.

Tomura chuckled, stepping around Noumu. "Oh, we're getting a continue."

That was normal. What wasn't normal was the way Izuku was glaring at the Number One hero. Kurogiri looked at the man-boy. It wasn't obvious because of the mask, but there was a distinct glint in Izuku's eye. He resisted the urge to sigh. More history. There was always more history but that was to be expected. Sensei wouldn't have chosen Midoriya if there wasn't a reason. He missed what All Might said.

"I've been waiting, hero, you trash of society," Tomura announced, bringing Kurogiri's attention back to him. It was dangerous otherwise. All Might couldn't be underestimated, though the warp villain cast his eyes around.

"He's alone," Izuku whispered to him, breaking protocol slightly. He wasn't meant to speak if there was a chance anyone could overhear him but the words were soft. Kurogiri overlooked that.

So All Might had come ahead of the others. How noble, how convenient... for them.

There was another burst of air. Tomura cried out and again Noumu was protecting him. Kurogiri could see that pro-hero Eraser Head was now in All Might's arms and being delivered to a group of students. Ah, that made sense. Except…

"It's no good. It's no good!" Tomura's words were a litany. He was shaking. One of his hands was gone. Kurogiri braced. That was never good, except before Shigaraki could explode, Izuku offered him the hand. For a moment the mist villain thought Tomura would attack Izuku. No one touched Tomura's hands but him. The other villain didn't seem to notice. Instead he took the hand back, cradling it gently.

"It's no good," he whispered again, looking down at the hand. "I'm sorry, Father," Tomura added as he lifted the hand to his face, fitting it over his features.

Kurogiri breathed a small sigh of relief. There wasn't going to be an explosion this time. They couldn't afford it. All Might had hit Tomura as he was saving Eraser Head.

Tomura appeared to refocus. "It's the violence of a government official," he muttered. "He's fast, as expected. I can't follow him with my eyes but he's not as fast as I thought he'd be. I guess it's true, after all, that he's getting weaker."

That is what Sensei had said, though it didn't appear as if All Might was weakened at all. Still, it wasn't their job to fight him. That was why Noumu was here. The black creature attacked.

Tomura chuckled. It was easy to see why. All Might was shocked that Noumu had withstood his punch. It was understandable. The Number One Hero wasn't known for being weak and even in villain society there were very few who could stand against him, even temporarily. "It doesn't work because of shock absorption," Tomura told the Hero. "In order to damage Noumu it would be most effective to slowly gouge out his flesh. Whether he'd let you do that or not is a different issue though."

Of course it was. Noumu was made to fight All Might and while by many measures the hulking creation was stupid, when it came to fighting, it wasn't. It knew what to do, and taking damage unnecessarily was one thing it would avoid.

"You can make a warp gate that is a circle, can't you?" Izuku whispered to him.

Kurogiri didn't look at the man-boy. "I can," he confirmed.

"All Might will use a brainbuster, suplex or piledriver," Izuku continued whispering. "When he does…"

Kurogiri nodded. He knew those moves. When All Might did that, if he opened a warp gate, the Noumu would have the upper hand.

The Noumu charged. All Might met his charge. All Might was more than just a hero thug. He thought about his punches. He thought about his moves. He couldn't have been the Number One for so long if he didn't. But that was his downfall. Izuku was right about his move set.

Kurogiri saw the moment All Might took a grip on Noumu and prepared to drop the creation backwards.

"Hey hey!" Tomura exclaimed. The move wouldn't kill Noumu but it would stun the creation for a moment.

The warp gate opened. Noumu didn't really understand what happened but he knew enough to take advantage of the situation. Claw like fingers dug into All Might's left side. The hero didn't cry out but it was a close thing. Blood seeped around Noumu's fingers.

Shigaraki appreciated the sight. "Were you trying to keep him from moving by sticking him deep into the concrete? You won't be able to stop him like that, because Noumu is as strong as you are!" He crowed happily. "This is good Kurogiri. This is an unexpected opportunity! Kurogiri!"

The mist villain knew what the order meant. This was going to be messy. "I do not want blood and guts overflowing within me but I would be happy to take in someone as great as you. You are too fast to see with human eye. Restraining you was Noumu's job, and then, when your body is half way in, to close the gate and tear you apart is my job."

Not really but that was the way these things happened. He was about the close the gate when the children attacked. Kurogiri recognised some of them. Two of them had attacked him earlier. The explosive child gripped his neck protector while the other one…

This was not good. The other one Kurogiri recognised had his hand at Izuku's throat. The man-boy wasn't moving and his mask was still in place. His throat was exposed. That was something. At least that other child hadn't actually gripped him. That could be troublesome.

Tomura was the only one unguarded and the Noumu… It's arm and leg was frozen. All Might leapt free of its grip. Noumu was quick to move out from the warp gate but it cost an arm and leg. They regrew quickly.

They were at an impasse but it was one that suited the heroes. There were no doubt other pro-heroes already on the way. Tomura knew that and he knew that while Kurogiri was trapped they couldn't escape. Kurogiri just hoped the boy remembered Izuku. Sensei would be upset if they lost him today.

"Noumu," Izuku snapped quickly. His eyes seemed to be fixed on the black creature but from Kurogiri's angle, he could see that Izuku was actually looking at the child holding him. Was there something there?

"Shut up!" the child at Izuku's throat growled.

But the word was enough. Tomura recognised the opportunity. He flicked one hand. The Noumu knew what to do. The mist villain barely saw the movement but he felt the child's grip release. He expected to see the child as a splatter on the floor. He wasn't. Instead All Might was putting him down, along with the other one. Even if Tomura didn't mean it, Noumu had forced All Might to see to the children first, meaning Izuku was free to move around. Kurogiri wasted no time as he rose and stood near Izuku with Tomura before them.

"He protected the child, huh?" Tomura asked rhetorically. Of course All Might protected the child.

The Number One hero took a few deep breaths. Noumu hadn't attacked him but the damage was obvious. "Do you not know how to hold back?" All Might asked, still holding his position.

Tomura stepped up to them. "It was to rescue my companions," he said. "I had no choice. Violence for the sake of others makes it admirable. Isn't that right, hero? You know what, All Might. I'm angry. I'm angry that this world categorises the same violent acts as heroic or villainous, deciding what's good and what's bad. Symbol of Peace? Hah! You're just a device to repress violence. Violence only breeds violence. The world will know this once we kill you."

Izuku glanced at Tomura. Unless the boy was ranting at one of his games, that was actually a long spiel from him and no doubt All Might would have something to say but they didn't have time. Thankfully Tomura recognised that fact.

"Noumu, Kurogiri, get him. I'll deal with the children. Now let's clear this and go home."

Noumu charged as did Tomura. The children were more aware now and ran. Kurogiri didn't move from Izuku's side. They were in the end game, if they got separated now there would be no chance to regroup.

Tomura never got the chance to attack the children. The shockwave from Noumu and All Might knocked him off his feet, but he was quick to recover. Sensei had trained him that well. "Darn! Hey you talked about his shock absorption yourself earlier, didn't you?" he addressed the Number One Hero.

"Yes, I did!" All Might admitted, exchanging more blows with Noumu. The wind pushed everyone back.

Kurogiri hooked one hand around Izuku's upper arm as he was blown back towards Tomura. "I can't get near him!" He told the hand covered villain.

"If your quirk isn't shock nullification but shock absorption, then there's a limit to it right?"

Tomura hissed. Kurogiri knew what that meant, as did Izuku. The Number One Hero was correct in his assessment. Though so far Noumu was holding on and the black creature was not weak. Shock absorption wasn't his only quirk.

But… Kurogiri watched as the landscape disintegrated under the force of the blows. It wasn't going to be enough. He could feel that, he could see it in the way Noumu moved, the way the head bent backwards. All Might was still too strong… or was prepared to push himself too far. Kurogiri's eyes narrowed as he watched the fight. The signs were there. They were subtle, you had to look for them but as All Might landed his final blow, literally driving Noumu through the outside dome of the USJ, Kurogiri knew that while they had lost this time… It was only this time.

That didn't mean it wasn't scary when the Number One Hero turned towards them. Izuku seemed not to be affected. He still glared at the pro-hero.

"Hey, what's going on?" Tomura was muttering. "He's not any weaker at all? Did that guy lie to me?" He reached up and scratched at his neck. If he didn't stop soon, he'd be bleeding.

Sensei hadn't lied, could Tomura not see that?

"Tomura Shigaraki, please calm yourself," Kurogiri urged. Usually Tomura would already have been calm. It was a measure of his anger that it was lingering. "Look carefully. You can see that he was definitely weakened from the damage from Noumu's attacks."

The mist villain weighed up the time. They might still have time before the others arrived. It was probably safer to retreat but in this condition, Tomura wouldn't accept that. "The children appear to be frozen in fear. We still have underlings who can be used. There are likely only a few minutes before reinforcements come, but if you and I work together, we still have a chance of killing him."

All Might was weakened. They could do it. Maybe. To live with Tomura, they had to try. Under his mask Izuku gave him a look. It told the mist villain that he didn't think it was a good idea but Kurogiri shook his head slightly. This had to be done.

"Yeah… yeah, yeah, that's right. We have no choice but to do it. I mean we have the last boss right in front of our eyes." Tomura bent forward slightly, his eyes glaring at All Might from between the fingers of the hand. He stretched out one of his arms, reaching towards All Might as he dug in his shoe to the ground.

Tomura's yelp was not expected. He pulled back his hand quickly. Kurogiri saw the wound. A gunshot.

He knew what that meant. Tomura huffed. "Ah man, they're here. It's game over now. Shall we go home and try again later, Kurogi-?"

It was odd to see Tomura fall but he did. The cause was easy to see. He was bleeding from each arm and leg. That meant Pro-Hero Snipe. There was no point in trying to see him. Kurogiri expanded himself, spreading around Tomura and Izuku who had the sense to move closer.

There was a gust of air from the side. "Thirteen!" Izuku's exclamation wasn't needed.

This wasn't good. Kurogiri gritted his teeth and kept opening the gate.

Tomura glared. "I may have failed this time but I will kill you next time Symbol of Peace, All Might!"

The gate closed around him, and they disappeared.

Kurogiri was happy to see the familiar inside of the bar. It was the first place he could think to warp them too.

Tomura fell to the ground, bleeding. Izuku looked at Sensei's TV. It said voice only but that meant Sensei was there. He looked at it, taking off his mask. "I understand," Izuku said.

Kurogiri looked at the man-boy. There was a gleam in his eyes, a look that said he'd do whatever it took. He couldn't help the smile that formed, even as Tomura bled. They may not have killed All Might but maybe they'd gained something else.

Izuku didn't pause for long. He moved to the bar and reached over it to where there was a first aid kit. Kurogiri looked down at Tomura who was now staring up at the TV.

They'd get through this.


	4. Part 1: Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _Izuku is a strange boy. Though he's no longer a boy. I think he's probably about 26 by now. Every week he goes to Sensei for aging. Every week he eats his assigned food without a grimace. He knew the plan. Never once have I heard him complain. Even when he is downing the pain meds. Even when it's obvious he can barely move when they aren't working. I can only imagine the amount of pain he's enduring to age his body two years every week._

 _Sensei insisted that Izuku go with us to UA's USJ. Izuku wasn't to do anything. He was just to watch, to stand near me and beyond offering a few minor suggestions, that's all he did. Once we got back he never even asked about those we left behind. And even before that, he never asked about the Noumu._

 _Sensei said the mission would help Izuku understand. And the first thing Izuku did when he stepped out of my warp gate back into the bar was look at Sensei's TV and tell the man he understood. I'm not sure what exactly Izuku understood but there was a look in his eyes that was different. Poetically you could say it was a light, or a fire or something but it isn't anything like that. It's just a look but one that speaks of determination._

 _Tomura wasn't anywhere near as happy. He raged and he growled and complained until Sensei reminded him this was just the first strike. Izuku helped slightly then. He reminded Tomura that in his games he never got to try the boss level first. He always had to work up to it. And in some games, he had to make sure he had the right equipment before he went after the boss. This was the same._

 _In order to defeat All Might and the system of Heroes, Tomura had to make preparations. Noumu was one. And maybe further iterations of Noumu would be enough to defeat All Might but more importantly was the other preparations. For victory to be real, for the rest of the sheeple to accept it, Tomura had to set the scene. The USJ wasn't a failure, but the opening move. It was a way of announcing to the world that the League was here, that he was here._

 _I didn't think Shigaraki would accept it. He did. He nodded carefully, thoughtfully. He accepted Izuku's explanation and then he asked something I didn't expect. Tomura asked if that was what Izuku understood._

 _Izuku confirmed it._

 _Izuku is a strange boy._

-afop-

"It's not just age, you know."

Kurogiri started. He set down the glass he had been cleaning, turning to the green haired man who was sitting at the bar. The man's eyes were also green and for the past few hours they had been riveted on the small TV that sat on the end of the bar.

"Izuku?" Kurogiri questioned.

"What Sensei is doing to me. It's not just making me older." Green eyes turned to him. "If it was just age then there's really no point."

The bartender blinked, reviewing what he knew of the plan for Izuku. It wasn't much. The man was now meant to take over the legitimate industries Sensei ran and that meant… Ah… That meant he had to understand those industries. A fourteen year old couldn't. Not truly.

"You see?" Izuku asked. He raised one hand, letting out a wave of sparks. They were pretty but not very useful.

Kurogiri was surprised, not at the sparks. In order for Izuku to truly fit in, it had been necessary to give him a quirk. It wasn't a fancy one. It just produced multicoloured sparks but it was enough to ensure Izuki was socially accepted. What surprised him was that as mist, he had no expression, he had no tells. Point of fact, he was banned from playing games of chance because no one could read him, yet somehow the kid had… Fourteen years… No, however many years old he was now and he'd read him.

"I see. Age, and knowledge."

Izuku nodded. "Though the base had to be strong," he explained.

Kurogiri gave a small nod. That was why Izuku had spent the beginning of his time here reading all those political articles. "So you will be CEO?"

"Directorships," Izuku confirmed, "and I think, politics."

The bartender closed his eyes briefly. He understood the plan now. Izuku would control the legitimate companies Sensei left to him, giving the profits to Tomura. And when he went into politics, Tomura would use the profits to create openings to bring about the changes the world needed. But… Kurogiri opened his eyes, looking at the boy, who was no longer a boy. Everyone had their reasons. Everyone did things for some reason.

Tomura had chosen to follow Sensei because society rejected him. He supported the ancient man because... He didn't like to remember those reasons but what drove a fourteen year old to follow Sensei? What drove a fourteen year old to give up who knew how many years of his life, to abandon everything? It was a personal question. Villains didn't usually ask each other why they chose that life. Some were more than happy to proclaim it to the world. Others held their reasons close. Izuku had never hinted. Kurogiri had taken his loyalty on faith because Sensei said it was so.

"Why?" His question was soft, almost hesitant, indicating that Kurogiri knew he shouldn't really be asking.

Izuku gave him a grin. Even with aging, it was infectious. "To stop that," he replied immediately, gesturing towards the small TV.

Kurogiri looked. It took him a moment to see what was happening. The TV displayed the UA Sports Festival and he recognised a medal ceremony. Except it wasn't quite right. The winner was tied to a post on the podium and muzzled? He blinked and looked again but the scene didn't change. The boy really was muzzled and his hands and feet were tied. He was glaring at everything.

"That," Izuku repeated. He pointed his hand towards the TV, letting out another stream of sparks that winked out as they hit the screen.

"That?" Kurogiri couldn't help but question. He wasn't sure what was going on with the UA ceremony and he was reasonably sure that adding sound wasn't going to help.

"His name is Katsuki Bakugou."

The bartender nodded. Izuku had been watching the entire proceedings. Present Mic, who was acting as one of the announcers would have said the UA kid's name at some point.

"An arrogant, stuck up twat who believes that to be the number one hero requires grinding everyone else underfoot."

Kurogiri gave Izuku a look. That wasn't anything Present Mic would have said. There was history there with the way the words had been spat. Was this the one Izuku had wanted the paper for? He had gotten into UA.

Izuku knew what the look meant and gave the bartender a smile. In any other situation the smile gracing his features might have been considered charming but Kurogiri could see the sharp lines of anticipation that defined it. It was not nice anticipation either.

"We all have our personal nemeses," Izuku told him softly.

Ah, that explained it. Every villain had history. It was nice to finally see some of the boy's, though not everything was explained. Kurogiri could intimate quite a bit. He poured a beer and set the schooner in front of Izuku.

"To stepping stones," he told the boy.

The smile changed, this time becoming genuinely pleased. Izuku reached out, wrapping his hand around the glass and holding it high in salute. "To stepping stones."

-afop-

 _The UA Sports Festival is not really a viewing selection of choice for villains. Not many think that far ahead. For those who do, then it's required viewing, but most focus on the Third Years. Very few ever bother with the First Years and to be fair, coverage of the First Year's events isn't anywhere near as comprehensive as the Third Years. Still, the bar had the stream, and … Tomura didn't really watch it._

 _Izuku did. I was slightly surprised. He's about 35 now. Tall, lanky but with a enviable muscle tone. At least, the tone is after each session with Sensei. Each week he still tries to build up fat. Not as much now but some. He watched the First Years and I don't think he blinked. It took me a moment to remember he's same age as them. Then I wondered if I should still give him milk or juice or if… It's odd when the body is not the same as the mind._

 _He looked at me during the medal presentation. He gave me a smile. It was… I didn't know if I should shiver or not. And then the kid explains. He tells me that Sensei isn't just aging him, he's also teaching him. It makes sense. With all the quirk's Sensei has been exposed to I'm not surprised he has one that forces knowledge into another's head. It would make explaining things easier if you could just make someone know what you knew. In this case, Izuku is getting additional information on the businesses he's meant to run. He's getting twenty or more years of general experience that he doesn't have._

 _I think that just proves that Izuku is a very intelligent person._

 _Though, he has his own motivations. It's nice to see them. I can relate to them. Tomura can, and so will the others who have to join. So will the others Izuku will have to relate to in the business world. Of course, they will never know his true motivation but the fact that he has goals and desires will resonate with them. That's what's important._

 _Even if they are dark. But that's the nature of villainy and there can be no doubt, that even if so far he's done nothing, Izuku Midoriya is a villain._

-afop-

It was a lovely scene of quiet domesticity. That is, if one didn't know who the people were. The first was a young man named Izuku Midoriya was sitting at the bar. He was dressed plainly in dark slacks and a t-shirt and was intently reading a tablet. A protein shake was in front of him, about half drunk.

The bar wasn't attended. Instead, its usual attendant, Kurogiri, known to most as one of the key members of the League of Villains was wiping down some of the tables and generally cleaning. Occasionally the bar did see legitimate customers.

Occasionally.

Sensei's TV was set to voice only and there was an aura of anticipation around the electrical item. Or at least as much of an aura as any electrical product could give off.

Tomura wasn't present. The teen was still asleep but he was known to sleep late every opportunity he could, and today he'd claim that he was going out late.

Izuku sighed, finishing the article he was reading, before he looked towards Sensei's TV. "The League will be lucky if he joins," he commented, reaching out for his shake.

Kurogiri quirked his head. Tonight they were going to ask the Hero Killer Stain to join the League. Joining was a little bit more complex than just being asked but if Stain agreed, then he definitely had the potential.

Except Izuku didn't seem to think it would happen.

"That is only one outcome, Izuku," Sensei's voice said.

Kurogiri could hear the instruction for Izuku to think about the others.

Izuku sat up, swallowing a large gulp from his protein shake before he spoke. "The first outcome is that everything goes perfectly," he said.

The mist villain stopped to listen. Izuku had a very analytical mind. Sensei was fostering that, but not so that he could become a new strategist… Or maybe that wasn't quite true, except Izuku's strategies wouldn't be applied for the League. They were going to be applied for the plan. The overall plan.

"The League instantly gains credibility and gets a good boost in reputation, feeding off his reputation. Something he probably wouldn't care about since he's not driven by a desire for fame."

That was a fair assessment. Stain was one of those lone wolf villains who acted. He didn't posture and his kill count spoke for itself. He would be a great asset to the League, which was the reason they were going to ask him to join, or at least ally.

"The second outcome is that he ally's with the League," Izuku continued, mirroring Kurogiri's thoughts. "Again the League gains credibility and a reputational boost, but there are dangers with it. Ally's are not bound by the chain of command, and since he's freelance, so to speak, he won't be asking the League's opinion before he strikes at anyone." Izuku shook his head, clearly indicating that he didn't really like that prospect. "I doubt the League will want any hero kept alive but you never know."

There was something in the way Izuku said it that made Kurogiri wonder. He glanced at Sensei's TV, confident that the man would notice the movement but the League's founder said nothing. That could mean anything. Izuku might be talking about some nebulous plan for the future, or he could be talking about something going on now. It was a reminder to Kurogiri that while he was the acknowledged strategist for the League, he wasn't their ultimate strategist. That was Sensei, and even if Izuku was talking about some nebulous idea, he was sure that Sensei, if he thought the idea was good, would make something of it.

"The third outcome is that he is insulted and just walks away," Izuku said. "If it becomes known that Stain rejected the League then that may make recruiting difficult in the future."

"So how would you turn that situation into an advantage?" Sensei pressed Izuku.

The man-boy took another gulp of milkshake. "Stain won't advertise that he rejected any offer. At least, not directly. He's not that kind of man. So the first step to turn rejection to the League's advantage is to ensure only trusted members of the League attend any meeting with him."

"That is done," Sensei said. "What else?"

"The League's goals are similar to Stain's but not the same. A few slight rewordings, and a bit less ranting would make them almost identical, without compromising ours."

"Why would we be seen to lessen our goals?" Kurogiri asked, having finished cleaning the tables. He walked back to the bar, putting the rag into a small hamper before pulled out a fresh one and began polishing the glasses.

"Because at the moment, he is popular. To ride that wave, the League must seem to be a part of that wave," Izuku explained. "Though it might be too subtle."

"And it would take too long. Something else," Sensei ordered.

Izuku looked down at his tablet. He tapped it a few times. Kurogiri watched the screen change several times. The man-boy began muttering but he quickly moved to quieten himself by taking the straw of his shake into his mouth. Sensei seemed content to wait.

"Given that I think Stain will reject the League, I suppose it's fair I think of some way to get something out of it," Izuku said eventually.

"And you have?" Sensei questioned with a note of expectation.

"I think I have something workable," Izuku admitted. "The League needs to take advantage of the fact that Stain won't specifically deny an alliance. It's not like he has any opportunity to either. As far as I can tell, he has no interaction with anyone except for those heroes he kills. Of course, he has to talk to someone but he's keeping his public persona separate from his private one. So that is the League's opportunity."

Kurogiri could see the truth of Izuku's words and he could see the opportunity provided by that opening, but he wasn't sure how to capitalise on it. Not in a way that was reliable.

"If the League runs a simultaneous operation in whatever city Stain is, then the media will draw their own conclusions. The League doesn't even have to do much, just being seen should be enough. After a couple of missions, if the relationship then breaks down, it won't matter, it will already be established."

Izuku tapped one finger on the bar.

"Very good, Izuku," Sensei praised. "However, you are dissociating again."

"Sorry Sensei," the man-boy said, hanging his head.

"Why? You are as much a part of the League as Tomura," Sensei said gently.

It was then Kurogiri realised that Izuku had been saying 'the League' instead of we. That was a problem.

"I don't want to make a mistake Sensei, later when it really matters."

"Izuku," Sensei's voice was reproving. "Do you not trust your own abilities?"

Physically Izuku might be much older than his real age but Sensei was older than them all, and when he spoke like that… Kurogiri knew he hadn't done anything wrong but even he felt cowed at the tone.

"No, Sensei, it's just tha-"

"Just nothing, Izuku. You are a part of the League, and you will refer to yourself as such. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Izuku said softly but it wasn't a whisper. Sensei didn't like it when his orders were answered with whispers.

"Very good," the voice from the TV accepted Izuku's words. "I will give Tomura several Noumu for some missions," he added, speaking to Kurogiri. "Stain will be a benefit to the League," Sensei said.

"One way or another," he added before the TV went blank.

Izuku sighed. "I'm sorry Kurogiri," he said before swallowing the last of his shake.

"Izuku?" The warp villain asked, not sure why he was being given the apology.

"I am a part of the League."

The bartender nodded. "That you are," he agreed. "That you are."

Words wouldn't change that.

-afop-

 _Tomura is continuing to learn, lessons Izuku appears to already know. Case in point, Stain. The vigilante doesn't share the same goals as the League but he has his own agenda. He has his own beliefs. Tomura didn't respect that and so didn't understand. I think he does now. But again Izuku had to explain why the coverage at Hosu focused on the vigilante, despite the damage the three Noumu's did._

 _It's really not that hard to understand even without the knowledge of beliefs and ideals. Even though he was captured, Stain has killed heroes, and killed one of the UA's first year hero students. That gets news time. The League, though infinitely more dangerous, has just got property damage to our name. And the forced retirement of a first year hero course student. Officially that is. Unofficially, if you include Sensei's record then… But most don't include Sensei's record and so to the world we aren't that dangerous._

 _Not yet, anyway. That's the future though._

 _Izuku understands that even if people do not agree with Stain they understand what he is wanting. There is an appeal to Stain's motivation, to the vigilante's beliefs. There is a lure in wanting to make a hero truly a hero rather than the fakes we have now because it is simple. If the heroes of today were truly heroes, in the way they are meant to be, rather than just those with flashy quirks, and the desire for riches and public acclaim, then there wouldn't be many villains._

 _But such is not the world we live in._

 _Izuku is almost ready to go into the world. He looks like a younger middle aged man. Soft spoken but there is a drive in his eyes that I've only ever seen in those who are truly willing to do anything to succeed. He hides it well. He relates well to those few patrons who come to the bar. Giran likes him. The two have long chats but it's more than that. Izuku is truly likeable in a way Tomura isn't._

 _Sometimes… I shouldn't. It's wrong. I shouldn't doubt Sensei. I know he's the master tactician in a way that just can't be described but sometimes I wonder if it's not Izuku who should get everything. And by everything I mean everything. The League and the legitimate businesses that are Sensei's cover. I wonder if Izuku shouldn't be the one to replace Sensei. I think he could do it in a way that Tomura cannot._

 _Doubts are new. I've never had doubts before…_

 _But… No. I cannot doubt. Sensei has never been wrong. He's not wrong now._

-afop-

"Kurogiri."

The bartender turned to the voice. It came from the TV that displayed only darkness. Sensei. He nodded.

"Come to me." The instruction was firm.

Behind the bar black mist expanded in all directions before it vanished. Kurogiri warped himself into the room Sensei spent the most time in. It was a simple room overlooking the warehouse the Noumu's were stored in.

The ancient man was sitting and appeared to be looking out into the warehouse. There were several tanks there, each containing a Noumu at various stages of completion. The newest, those barely begun looked mostly human. The liquid kept them asleep and there was a respirator on their faces to ensure they could breath.

"You have doubts," Sensei spoke before Kurogiri could.

The warp gate villain froze for an instant. The constant movement of the mist that made up his form didn't move before he sighed. "I'm sorry, Master," he managed to say. Regret coloured his tone but there was no denying the ancient man's statement.

The master villain looked over at him. Of course, he wasn't really looking. Not with the top part of his head being a featureless mass but Kurogiri knew he was being examined.

"I understand, it's natural," he replied. "Izuku is many things that Tomura is not," the ancient man saw straight to the heart of Kurogiri's concerns.

"That is true," Kurogiri replied when the silence between them stretched.

"That is why Izuku has a different path than Tomura." Sensei's lips curled into a knowing and somewhat pleased smile. "But his path is just as important. Possibly even…" The ancient man stopped speaking, as his smile grew. Kurogiri knew that his Master was engrossed in thoughts of the future.

"One that requires him to be older?" Kurogiri prompted, ignoring the unfinished sentence.

"Indeed." Sensei gave a small chuckle. "Do you know what he said to me, when I told him I could make him older?"

The bartender shook his head. Izuku didn't tell anyone much of what happened in the sessions he spent with Sensei.

"The quirk I've been using to age him is usually fatal," Sensei said, instead of replying directly. "It is a form of immortality that relies on stealing years from others. Usually the body of the one who lost the years can't handle the strain, especially if too many years are taken at the one time. The body ages, using all its resources and then dies of exhaustion. But if you take only a few years at a time, to a body that is prepared and has been supercharged, then they survive."

Kurogiri nodded. That explained the need for the high calorie, high protein, high calcium foods and the multivitamins Izuku had been required to have. They were what kept him alive.

"Before I started though, Izuku told me I was welcome to the years. He told me to use them well." Again Sensei chuckled. "His dedication at such a young age is admirable."

"Tomura," Kurogiri felt obligated to point out.

"Does not count," Sensei over rode his objection. "Tomura was raised to his position. Izuku could have been so different but, he isn't. He's ours and he will play a role in changing this ugly world, just like we all will." The ancient man smiled. It was a particularly pleased smile of one who knew that things would work out for him. "If I could, I would give him All For One l but my quirk is not transferable. I've given him two others instead."

Kurogiri felt his eyes widen. That was… Sensei had never even suggested anything like that in the past. He forced himself to breathe normally as he considered the words. Two quirks? Izuku had been open in displaying showers of sparks. He had never even mentioned another quirk. The warp villain knew better than to ask but he would watch for any sign.

"And I will give Izuku a new name, a perfect name for one who is going to be in the spotlight, for one who will stand there and not be truly known."

The bartender shifted slightly. It indicated his question. He understood that Izuku would be in the spotlight in the way the League should never be. The League would get acknowledgement, would get reported on but that was just like any other villain. They would not be available for interviews. Izuku, as the acknowledged controlling interest in Sensei's legitimate businesses would have to be respond to the news, the other stakeholders, the other board members. He would be seen and his motives known.

There was no fear that he would be recognised. Izuku still looked like his younger self but was obviously a middle aged man. Some might suspect a family relationship but there would be none to find. Kurogiri already knew the papers and identity that Sensei would supply to Izuku would be perfect. He would have a history, he would be his new name.

"Ichimokuryozen ni kakurete," Sensei said the words. "In English?" the ancient man prompted.

"Hidden in plain sight," Kurogiri translated the phrase.

"Yes. Since All Might so likes his American, Izuku's new name will reflect that, in an appropriate mockery, of course. His name will be Imoku Kakurete."

Kurogiri nodded. It was a mockery. One that was hidden so that only those who knew would understand but it was enough. Usually Sensei didn't bother with such gestures. He was above them but occasionally he indulged.

"Master," Kurogiri said gently.

"You have questions?"

"I do."

Again the ancient man smiled. "You really only have one question," he murmured. "Why Izuku?" He stated the question for Kurogiri.

The warp gate villain made no movement for a few moments before he nodded again. That really was the only question that mattered. Everything else he might want to know came from that question. "Yes, why Izuku?" Surely there was someone else of the right age Sensei could have used to run his business empire. Why take a fourteen year old and have to do ageing, quirk, information… everything. Truly, using Izuku complicated things.

"It is true that Izuku adds complexity," Sensei admitted, reading his thoughts. Kurogiri knew the man wasn't truly reading his mind but the ancient villain had known him for a very long time. He knew what movements meant what. "But the advantages outweigh the complications."

"Advantages?"

Sensei smiled. Another contented knowing smile. "His will. His charisma. Those things can not be faked. Those things can not be a mere act. His lack of knowledge has been fixed. He's now every bit as knowledgeable as someone who has lived the years I took from him. The only weakness he has now is social interaction and contacts."

"Which is not a weakness," Kurogiri pointed out. Sensei had more than enough contacts who could cover for Izuku… Imoku. Who would swear on their mother's graves that they had known Izuku for all their lives, even if they had been the one to put their mother's in those graves. They would do whatever Sensei told them, and they would like it. Kurogiri took a deep breath. "He's not just going to run companies is he?"

This time Sensei actually chuckled.

Kurogiri remembered something Izuku had said previously. Directorships and… "Politics," the warp villain said.

Sensei waved one hand. "Japan has come a long way in ridding itself of many cultural insecurities such as racism. We now accept those of mixed origin far more easily. I am forced to allow that it's one of the few good things All Might has inflicted upon this country but one thing Japan has not been able to change is our love of old politicians." That was all the explanation he gave.

It was enough. Thirty, even mid twenties would have been old enough to take over the directorships of some companies. It would have been young but Izuku, with the right backing would have been fine, especially as the shell companies Sensei ran all had overseas ties. They could have played off that. But politics was still an old man's game… Izuku was still young for it but… It would be enough.

"You see, different paths," Sensei said. It was nice that he didn't point out that their conversation had started about doubts.

Kurogiri nodded. Sensei always covered all the angles.

 **-afop-**

 **Note about Izuku's new name**

一目瞭然に隠れて (Ichimokuryōzen ni kakurete) translates to hidden in plain sight.

But to make Izuku's new name, I took the Imoku from the centre because it's close to Izuku (which makes no sense in Japanese since the first I is from the ichi but meh!) and as a surname Kakurete, which is the bit that means 'hide'... sort of. I'm butchering the language, I know.


	5. Part 1: Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _Even with the extra members of the League around, it's been quieter in the bar without Izuku… Imoku as he's known now. As expected, Sensei had made sure he had the appropriate papers and had told his contacts to set Imoku Kakurete up in the system. Imoku just walked into his directorships as if he owned the companies… Which on paper, he did. After that, we didn't see him much. He only dropped in when he could afford to get away. A man who runs those businesses has no right to be in a bar like mine. I like my bar but I can admit that._

 _Imoku was the one to suggest another way of keeping contact. In the aftermath of Stain the League gained new members. Izuku, despite his previous quirkless status was always interested in quirks. He knew what their abilities were. Himiko Toga can change her form when she ingests someone's blood. Imoku suggested that she be set up as his wife._

 _Sensei didn't like that idea but the concept was good. Toga won't be Izuku's wife. It has too much exposure and she is… flighty is probably the best way of saying it. Instead Toga will be his mother, and Imoku, being the good boy that he is, will have dinner with her once a week. That way he can keep in communication with us, and we can keep comms up with him. And it reinforces his image._

 _Toga likes the idea but she has always had something of a soft spot for Izuku even though she's only met him a couple of times, even though he was much older than her. I think it was because he never let her get away with shit. Or maybe she just likes older men?_

 _The small unit has already been purchased and Mrs Kakurete already exists in the system. According to the records, Imoku bought his mother the apartment several years ago._

 _I wonder sometimes if he misses his real mother. He has never mentioned her. He is fourteen, maybe fifteen now despite how old his body looks and despite the information Sensei has put in his head. I think he must but… Sensei said it best. Izuku's dedication is admirable. It is worthy of respect. Maybe that's how Izuku already learned the lessons Tomura is still learning._

 _I only hope Tomura learns them in time. I get the feeling there is something coming._

 _But, that could just be my pessimism. Still, you don't get a long career without listening to your feelings._

-afop-

"You've done what?" The voice echoed around the room, catching the attention of almost everyone there. The only one who didn't look to the speaker was the boy tied in the middle of the bar. He was still unconscious. One thing the outraged question made clear was that one of the lessons Sensei had had Izuku learn was oration. He had put an impressive amount of emotion into his voice. That was a good thing. He was talking to crowds in a bid to be elected.

"He'll join us," Tomura was certain. He gestured his his hand towards the boy who was tied in the chair. The boy was in his hero suit, though the large gauntlets he had previously worn had been removed.

"No. He won't." Izuku was certain. "He's not even a poor replacement for Muscular! How did he get taken out anyway?"

There was silence from the bar.

"The Rescue Heroes," Kurogiri told Izuku. "Though we got Ragdoll."

He seemed to think about it for a moment, working out what the battle would have been like in his mind before he nodded. Muscular was strong but the Wild Wild Pussycats had experience and teamwork. "I still can't believe this is why you cancelled dinner with Toga this week," he huffed.

"Oh, baby-boy! You do care!" Toga purred, licking at one of her knives.

No one commented on that. The rest of the League just watched. They weren't certain who this man was. Most of them had never seen him. Looking at him, Izuku was far too well dressed to be here but he was. His obvious familiarity with Tomura and Kurogiri was throwing them off guard.

"He'll join us. And then the world will see what a hero really is." Tomura said again.

Izuku took a deep breath. He turned his eyes from Tomura, glaring at the unconscious boy tied to the chair.

Kurogiri recognised the kid. He was the First Year winner of UA's Sport's Festival. Katsuki Bakugou. The one Izuku had history with. Though Kurogiri still didn't know what history. There had never been an opportunity to ask. Izuku took the few steps to the chair before he leant over and shoved his face into Katsuki's. The angles were odd but the glare was unmistakable.

"He won't." This time Izuku's voice was soft. "This kid is arrogant and self-centred but the one thing he's always wanted is to be a hero," Izuku explained. "He doesn't see the power of the alternatives."

"Like you?" Tomura spat.

Izuku looked up at him, giving him an odd smile. "Like me," he confirmed. "Though really, I have to thank Kacc- Katsuki for his part in opening my eyes."

"Well, you can thank him when he's one of us."

There was a snort from Izuku and he muttered something in English. To Kurogiri, it sounded suspiciously like 'when pigs fly'.

Izuku took a deep breath. "Anyway, the routine report is on the bar, and the money has been transferred," he told Tomura before he looked to the blank TV on the bar. "I should have my first elected position soon," he said to Sensei.

Kurogiri was glad his form was expressionless. The looks from the others were interesting, especially given that Sensei didn't answer.

Izuku turned his eyes away from Sensei's TV. "It's time for me to go," he added with a nod towards the warp villain.

"Same time next week, baby-boy!" Toga crowed.

The bartender returned the nod and the gate opened. Izuku stepped through, going back to his supposed mother's apartment.

Tomura huffed as the gate vanished. He scratched at his neck.

"So who was that…?"

The question came from more than one of the League. Kurogiri noticed the way Dabi was staring at the place Izuku had stood. His eyes were particularly piercing before he blinked and looked away. What did he know?

"He's my-"

Toga was cut off. "Not anyone you need to worry about, suffice to say he is loyal to the League."

Tomura wasn't the only one to stare at the small TV. It wasn't often that Sensei spoke when everyone was present. "Question this Bakugou now, Tomura," Sensei continued.

"You think the brat's right?" Kurogiri could see the way Tomura's eyes widened slightly. It was an improvement. He was thinking.

"I suspect Imoku is more informed about this particular UA student than most," Sensei replied in that way he did. He didn't often contradict Tomura. He seemed content to guide the younger man.

Kurogiri resisted the urge to rub at his eyes. The situation was just getting more complex all the time and he suspected they didn't have the time to muck around.

-afop-

 _You would think after so long I would have learned to trust my instincts. I could feel something was going to go wrong. I just didn't expect that wrong thing to be All Might coming through the wall._

 _Of course, in hindsight it is obvious. The League attacked UA, wounding one of their students to the point where he had to pull out from school entirely as a cripple. Stain killed one of their precious students and now the League kidnapped another. UA would be desperate to get the brat back, to prove to the public the strength of heroes._

 _I don't remember much of anything. From what the others have told me, the attack wasn't long after Imoku left and we were saved by Sensei. I have seen the footage of the fight, and the reveal of the true from of All Might. But it doesn't change the fact that we are now on the run. Tomura is the head of the League._

 _Toga is out now, for her weekly meeting with Izuku. She's been told if there is any doubt of his loyalty to kill him. She'll be back. And Imoku will still be alive. Tomura has yet to learn that Izuku is loyal. He will, when the resources keep coming, though some will be consumed setting up a new base and recovering our losses._

 _Some of the scientists used to create the Noumu's were also saved. They can make Noumu's without Sensei though it will be more difficult. Tomura was happy to hear that at least, though I suspect he focused on the can make part without hearing the difficult. No matter, he will learn._

 _I feel like crap. It's been a week but I still hurt. Not that I resent Sensei. I am thankful the man has a quirk that could forcefully activate other quirks, or it would all be over. But forcible activation hurts and I need to rest. I'm not sure I'm going to get that rest but I'll do what I can._

-afop-

"Imoku-honey!"

"Mother!"

To any watching, it was a touching sight. As it was meant to be. Imoku moved and gave his mother a hug. Patting her lightly on the back. "Is everyone okay?" he whispered the question.

"Yes," Toga whispered back, her usual jovial nature subdued. They parted quickly and Imoku moved further into the apartment, taking off his shoes as the door closed.

"Good to hear," Izuku said as they moved together. "Do you need anything specific?"

The question was vague enough, and was one a good son might ask his mother. "The apartment's secure," Toga told him. "I've been here for hours!"

Izuku nodded. "Something to do," he murmured.

"Yes! I checked everywhere. Besides, who would be interested in you?"

He didn't reply. She knew who would be interested. "Just be thankful I don't have a bodyguard. Do you need any specific supplies?"

Toga shook her head as she moved into the kitchen. She had ordered in dinner earlier and was keeping it warm. "Misty is still hurting but he will heal. The worst of it is that we've been stuck in some dingy room all week!"

"You'll probably have to stay there a little longer," he murmured sympathetically but was equally thankful to hear that Kurogiri was fine. He liked the warp villain. "Though once the heat has died down a bit, I'm sure Tomura will have planned something."

"Heh," she giggled. "He's still crying for his Sensei."

Izuku's eyes flashed. "Sensei is a great man," he said firmly.

Toga took the hint. The other members of the League would be surprised but they didn't know Imoku like she did. The weekly dinners had given her a chance to get to know Izuku. He wasn't known for his physical fighting ability but he was good at it. She had sparred with him a few times. Nothing serious, just scuffles really. She'd never won. He always said something that made her stop. Himiko also knew his tone of voice. When he used that one, there was no arguing with him. And truthfully, Toga wasn't sure what to think of the man who had gone toe to toe with All Might, despite the injuries he was bearing.

"I got you lots of food," she changed the subject.

Izuku was silent for a moment longer before he nodded. "Thank you."

"You always eat so much!" She complained, laying out some of the food on the table. "If I ate that much I'd be fat."

"Even with your quirk?" Izuku asked.

"Change of shape doesn't take much," Toga shrugged. It looked odd coming from the body of an old woman.

"The residue?" Izuku pressed. When she changed forms she almost melted, and that had to be generated from somewhere.

"Okay, okay! I can eat a bit more," she relented. "But not as much as you," Himiko growled, gesturing with her chopsticks to the mounds of food in front of Izuku. It was far more than her portion. Politely put it was a generous serve for a healthy young man. More accurately put, it would comfortably feed a family of four adults.

"Let's just say my quirk uses more," he murmured digging into the food.

"What doe-" She stopped.

Izuku gave her a lopsided smile and a trail of sparks showered over them. She knew better than to ask that question.

"Sensei has been incarcerated in Tartarus, so tell Tomura there's no point in attacking that. He won't want to hear it but he has to."

Toga gave him a brief nod. She knew that all too well about their leader. "He's looking for allies."

Izuku chuckled. "Allies?"

She didn't reply. That's all she really needed to say. Izuku continued to eat.

"Katsudon?" he asked, reaching for a new dish. "You got me katsudon?"

Himiko looked to the side. It was odd to admit it. "It was to celebrate," she conceded. There wasn't much to celebrate this week but Izuku had won his election. The results had been lost in the revelation about All Might's true form and the speculation about who Sensei was and what his ability was. The heroes were keeping that quiet. They didn't want the truth to be known.

"Thank you," Izuku said as he started on it. He had won an almost impossible election, coming from literally nowhere to win the hearts and minds of his constituents.

Part of his study of politics had been to understand how it had changed since Quirks evolved. The old Diet of Japan had been revamped. It was different though at the heart of it there was still representation of the people but it was still somewhat corrupt. As the American's liked to say, money talks. And Izuku, Imoku Kakurete had a lot of words.

"Is there anything else we need to know?"

Izuku shook his head. "It's too early for me to get that information. I have to be confirmed in the House first, then I can start requesting official documents. Don't worry, I will as soon as I can but I can't do something stupid like request to visit Sensei. Acting scared about that big bad villain who took out All Might and asking what will happen to him is acceptable, anything more will raise suspicion." He said some in the perfect voice for acting scared.

Toga grinned. She knew what Izuku meant and while she didn't know the long term plan, having someone loyal to them elected in the House of Parliament, that was big. It meant the League was really going to change the world.

-afop-

 _Tomura is still mourning the loss of Sensei but the regular shipment of cash and information from Izuku at least assured him of the ... I'm not sure what to call him, boy or a man. Whatever it should be, Tomura is not worrying about Izuku's loyalty. Which is good, because he is figuring out what Sensei wanted him to do, what Sensei wanted him to become._

 _It is interesting to compare the two, Tomura and Izuku. Tomura has never doubted what he wants but he has stumbled upon the way to getting it. Izuku was pointed in the right direction and started running. But they must both work together to change the world._

 _Tomura will create the atmosphere. Izuku will capitalise on it. Japan's Government, the Diet as it used to be called, is no longer multi-layered. That took too long to make decisions. There is now a single House of Representatives. There are still political parties but with the emergence of Quirks two hundred years ago, many things changed. There are a lot more independents as well, and they can put forth bills that then become legislation._

 _It's early days yet, Izuku has just been sworn in, but I think even Tomura knows it's just a matter of time. His video games were good for something. Sometimes, you just have to wait. For now he needs to cement the deal with the Eight Precepts of Death. If we can control their drug, or at least be perceived to control their drug, then that gives us the upper hand._

 _It's all about reputation, expectation and perception._

 _Tomura is learning._

-afop-

"That's it exactly!"

There were a lot of traditions with being elected, Imoku knew nothing about. Fortunately, there were helpers, public servants who acted to guide him around to this event, and then that event. Like the one now. Apparently it was traditional for all the newly elected Representatives to gather for drinks. Just the first termers as they were called, no matter what party affiliation they had.

Which was annoying but wasn't so bad. It saved him from having to speak with them one to one. So, best to look at the silver lining and all that.

"The heroes have taken a battering in public opinion polls lately," Hideaki Akiyama said.

"What? You don't credit those calling for them to be disbanded?" Shichiro Fukui was aghast at the suggestion, even if he made it.

"Of course not!" Hideaki chuckled dismissively. "Those calls always exist from the nutters." Imoku reminded himself that this was a private event. Hideaki would never speak that way in front of the public. Knowingly at least. "They just sound louder in an echo room."

"Still," Masami Satou interposed softly. She was a smaller woman but being party affiliated, she had already made her maiden speech. "There must be something we can do. The Government pays for Heroes after all and them looking bad, just makes us look bad."

"There is," Imoku said.

"As soon as this supposed League is in custody the calls will- Wait… what did you say, Kakurete?" Hideaki demanded.

"There is a way we can help," Imoku repeated with an endearing smile.

"Oh, this I gotta hear," Hideaki snorted. The others just looked interested but in that polite way that said they would hear the unknown out before dismissing whatever he said.

Imoku's smile didn't change, instead pulled out his phone and tapped it, bringing up an image. "Do you remember this?" he asked, holding up the image for them all to see.

"Err… No, what is that?"

He chuckled. "That was the podium for the First Years at UA's Sport's Festival," Imoku explained. The image clearly displayed a bound and muzzled Katsuki Bakugou staked in first place.

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"Hideaki is correct. Heroes have taken a battering in public opinion lately. They are almost on a par with us!" The little joke brought a few titters of half hearted laughter. "But it is not just the actions of the Heroes which contribute to that battering. The actions of this League help but in all cases the Heroes have won," Imoku said, hiding the bile in his voice at that. They'd won up until now. "Usually that would be enough to keep public opinion high but it's images like this that make the public doubt," he elaborated. "This is a hero in training, one who wouldn't even graciously accept his victory. We might think it funny, but what does the public see?"

While his audience were all newly elected Representatives, they were all politicians, they knew what drove public opinion. They saw his point.

"You said there is something we can do to help?" Masami reminded everyone that was the point of the conversation before they could go on a tangent.

"There is," Imoku insisted. "We need to show the public that Heroes, even Heroes in training, are true Heroes. And I think we can do it in such a way that benefits the Heroes as well."

"Oh ho! That is a bold claim."

"It's true. I wanted to be a hero once," Imoku gave a depreciating smile. "I think everyone does at one point in their life but when I looked into it, I really didn't like the stats. Do you know there is no mandated health care for them? Their insurances cover it, but you'd think there would be something! And there is no mental health care," he added. "Beyond memorising things for tests, there is no psychological checks for those training to become heroes, and there's definitely nothing for you once you become a hero." He shook his head theatrically.

"We give Heroes all these rights - the right to use their Quirk, the right to use _deadly_ force - and there is no psyche check on them? Can you imagine what that does to them?"

"All right, Imoku, we aren't your constituents," Masami chuckled lightly. "Your point is made." A glance at the others indicated she was right. They nodded.

Shichiro looked concerned. "What do you mean there is no psyche check?" He demanded.

"I mean there is no psyche check. We don't know why any hero is being a hero beyond the fact that they are qualified. And that's how we can help heroes regain public trust. One, we look at how to get more mental health care to our existing heroes, but for those in training, we look at putting in some psyche checks and testing, to ensure those training to be heroes, are doing it for the right reasons. Otherwise, all we could be training is highly paid, government sanctioned killers." Imoku held up the image of Katsuki again. While he'd been speaking he had zoomed it in on Bakugo's face to show his wild eyes and the way he was straining. It made his point nicely.

Masami nodded. While they might be new to the House of Representatives, they knew politics. They knew the polite facade that covered some heroes. "I'll talk to the higher ups," she indicated.

Imoku nodded, while Hideaki looked outraged. He was no doubt appalled that Imoku would just let her walk away with his suggestion. "I'll give you some proposals," Imoku said.

Hideaki nodded his understanding, and Imoku could see how he was being reevaluated. He wasn't a complete fool. He wasn't going to let an established party take full credit for what would be seen as a good investment in the future, but he did recognise that as an independent he needed to work with the parties to get what he wanted through. Holding them hostage was not the way to go, it was better to suggest policies that made them look good, yet still achieved his aim.

Masami gave him a soft smile. She knew what they were thinking. It was obvious but sounding out the new independents was one of the things the higher ups had expected her to do this meeting and she knew what she was going to report. Imoku could be worked with and seemed sensible. Hideaki was still hanging on to his ideals as an independent. He'd be too standoffish to truly work with and Shichiro… She wasn't sure about Shichiro yet.

"I look forward to working with you all," Imoku said to cover the small silence that had grown between them.

The responses were as expected.

-afop-

 _Dabi has been looking at us oddly lately. The boy isn't anywhere near as powerful as he thinks he is but he is intelligent. It's not the same intelligence as Sensei or Tomura, rather it is a sly intelligence. I don't think Tomura has noticed the looks. Dabi is thinking about something, he's trying to make a decision without all the information. I know what that looks like. It won't come to a head yet but it's something to be wary of._

 _I don't believe he will betray us given he is the leader of Vanguard Action Squad but being cautious is the norm._

 _The Eight Precepts are being problematic. They want more time. They want more money. They want more support. They just want. They seem to be treating us as if the League is no longer relevant. Respectful, yes, because we were lead by Sensei, and any man who can stand against All Might has the respect of the underworld. But they believe themselves our equal. Tomura is letting it be for the moment but it will come to a head soon._

 _I have faith that we will be victorious in the long run, but the current situation is precarious even if we have found a new headquarters. Again it is a bar, and the familiarity is nice. It's been set up differently this time. There are more doors, and it's more hostile to outsiders but it is comforting to everyone. Tomura usually sits in one of the darkened corners, scratching or chewing on one nail. Leadership is maturing him and that's good for the League._

-afop-

"This is an interesting proposal," Nedzu murmured.

"With due respect, Principal Nedzu, it is not a proposal," Representative Imoku said with a soft smile. While it was not usual, as the instigator of the HMBH (Heroes Must Be Heroes) Bill, he had asked to be one of the people present when it came to briefing the Principals of the Hero Schools of Japan. "This is an important step to ensure the mental stability of our Heroes, now and in the future."

"We do have checks," Hitomi Kawaguchi, the Principal of Seiai Academy said.

"Do you?" Representative Masami asked, her voice clearly challenging as she picked up a paper. The challenge hid her nerves. She was a first term Representative, like Imoku. She wasn't used to dealing with the Principals of Japan's Hero Schools. Imoku seemed perfectly at ease. He'd even them a winning smile before settling, as if he did this every day. Of course he had… Not the Principals but other powers in business. Imoku had dealt with them all. In that way he was far more prepared than her to be a Representative. "While Seiai's Academy places a greater emphasis on knowledge that some of the other Hero Schools, you do not test for mental stability of your prospective students. Given that the Government pays heroes, it is not unreasonable for the Government, and the people to know that those serving them are stable."

Susumu Shimizu sighed as she flicked through the pages of the HMBH Legislation. "As a part of the exams delivered to all prospective Hero Course students, each licensed Hero Academy is required to administer a basic, Government issued, psychological assessment. Prospective students who fail the assessment cannot be enrolled in the Heroics Course."

There was silence as Susumu Shimizu finished reading, though no doubt all the Principals had read the Legislation.

"That seems a bit harsh," Susumu said finally.

"On the contrary," Representative Imoku replied, "It is vitally important that those who chose to train to be a hero are those who are suited for the vocation."

"What Imoku is saying, and what the bill addresses," Masami said placatingly, "is to make sure that those who aim to become heroes are suited to it. We have seen some of the problems that come when someone licensed to become a hero is not suited to the job." Masami didn't mention anyone specifically, but these were the Principals of Japan's Hero Academy's, they'd all have particular failures from their schools.

"A student may be re-assessed?" Nedzu asked.

"Of course," Masami replied immediately.

"Ah, good," the rat-human murmured. "I find that our students mature greatly in their years of schooling, and while some may not be suited for hero work when they enroll, by the time they graduate, they are."

"Indeed," Imoku agreed amicably. "The HMBH Bill is not designed to exclude people from becoming Heroes. It's designed to ensure those who become Heroes are doing so for the right reasons. It is there to ensure their future mental stability."

Imoku looked at the gathered Principals. "Right now Japan needs to be able to trust its heroes," he elaborated. "Through no fault of you, that trust has been eroded by the actions of villains." He didn't need to specify what actions, though Imoku kept the smile from his features when many of the Principals sent a glare towards Nedzu.

UA had gotten off relatively lightly after most of the scandals. In the wake of the USJ incident, Principal Nedzu had managed to argue that the League could have invaded any school. The forced retirement of one student, with injuries so bad that no amount of plastic surgery would fix, and the requirement for a respirator for the rest of his life, was something that could have happened to any hero school. It ignored the fact that the League had attacked specifically because of All Might… The public was slightly forgiving then.

But the scandals had continued. The death of one of their first year students while doing Field Experience had been the next incident. UA had avoided most of the blame there, because the investigation had proven that the boy had disobeyed his Hero mentor and thus was at fault for his own death. But in the kidnapping case, which then lead to the destruction of Kamino Ward and the forced retirement of All Might, UA had not fared as well. There was a degree of resentment towards the school, not just from the other Hero Academies but from all of Japan. It was their security that failed to protect their student, which lead to All Might's fight, and while All Might had won, everyone knew that Endeavor was a poor replacement.

"Unfortunately, the Heroes have yet to catch the group responsible, this-" Imoku paused as if he was trying to recall the name- "League of Villains, and with All Might no longer able to be the pillar upon which society rests, other Villains are coming out of the shadows," he continued. The Principals knew what he was talking about. There had been a huge rise in petty crime and some were taking more violent actions. "For Japan to function people must trust their Heroes and knowing that they can trust those in training is just as important as trusting those who are already graduated. The foundation must be strong."

He didn't miss the look the rat Principal gave him. For a moment Imoku felt as if the rodent-human could read his mind but he had gone through worse. Nedzu's gaze had nothing on Sensei and Sensei was missing half his face! He gave UA's Principal a bland look, one that seemed to encourage argument but knew that none would be forthcoming.

"Yes, the foundation must be strong," UA's Principal agreed.


	6. Part 1: Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _Tomura's taken a bold step. He planned it well. It was a remarkably carefully thought out plan for him. The investigation went unnoticed. The Eight Precepts didn't notice but then we were allies._

 _Their drug rests on very fragile foundations. A single quirk user. Tomura was pleased when Toga brought him that information. It's a simple equation. No girl, no anti-quirk bullets. They sound useful in theory but anti-quirk bullets are a double edged sword. They can just as easily be used against you as for you, especially if mass produced._

 _If the Eight Precepts were going to use them for sniper strikes, Tomura probably wouldn't have cared. The mass production just has too many risks, and even he could see that._

 _The Yakuza are one type of villain. They are long established, and while they like to pretend they are lawless, they have their own internal rules. The League is different. We are true villains. We will do whatever it takes to get the job done._

 _Overhaul found that out the hard way._

 _Tomura only used the most dedicated of Vanguard Action Squad. Not those who were following in Stain's footsteps, those who were truly committed. The strike was simple and fast. Two pronged. One for the stockpile, one for the source._

 _Both were successful. That's not to say there isn't a few anti-quirk bullets out there. There must be and Overhaul will be saving them for us. It means war but the League had been at war for far longer than the Eight Precepts. They'll learn what that means soon enough, especially with Vanguard Action Squad gunning for them now. All of them. Those who pretend they follow Stain's teachings are more than willing to take out traditional bad guys. It's practically a public service, even if they are villains._

 _The logic of some escapes me at times but Sensei always pointed out that results matter, not the twisted logic that gets you there. Maybe that's why Tomura is beginning to understand._

-afop-

It was odd to find the new bar mostly empty. Kurogiri was enjoying the quiet. Tomura was present but he was silent. He'd say he was thinking but there was only so much one could think. When Dabi appeared, it was a surprise. He was meant to be training with Vanguard Action Squad.

"I've got a way of taking out Endeavor," he announced, staring at Tomura.

The hand covered face shifted slightly. It was difficult to see Tomura's eyes between the fingers but he was clearly interested.

"You do?" Kurogiri asked for him.

The fire villain didn't take his eyes off Tomura. "I do," he confirmed, "but it will require Kakurete's support."

There was silence in the bar. "Kakurete?" Tomura asked. It was a good attempt. There was enough confusion in his tone to raise questions, to pretend he didn't know who Kakurete was. It wasn't enough.

Kurogiri could tell Dabi wasn't going to be distracted. The villain said nothing but neither did he drop his eyes.

"A way of taking out Endeavor?" Tomura eventually asked.

Dabi smiled gently. "Foolproof."

"I doubt that," Kurogiri said. Sensei liked to say that no plan was ever foolproof, not even the plans he made.

The fire villain had the good taste to nod. "If he's not dead, then his reputation will be ruined."

Tomura scratched at his neck. "And what is this plan?" He'd learned to listen to plans before his dismissed them. That was something.

"I never cared about All Might," Dabi said. "I've always wanted to take out Endeavor. You could say Endeavor is the reason I'm a villain," Dabi continued, with a self deprecating smile. "But while this plan might kill him, I'm hoping it doesn't. Death is too quick, too easy, the destruction of his reputation, that will cause him true pain, but to do that, I need Kakurete."

"And what do you need dear Imoku to do?" Tomura asked.

His question answered Dabi's unspoken question. The League did know Representative Kakurete.

Dabi smiled. "Advertise. His reputation will do the rest."

It wasn't the answer Kurogiri was expecting. It wasn't the answer Tomura was expecting either. The Leader of the League, reached up and scratched at his neck. "It will not tie back to us?" He asked.

"Not in a way that is dangerous," Dabi admitted.

Tomura reached out, and tapped his fingers over the table in front of him. "I think I'll let Imoku be the judge of that."

Kurogiri was surprised. He didn't think Tomura would ever say something like that. It just proved that he was learning.

"You'll go with Toga this week and tell him."

Dabi's grinned widened. It was something feral.

-afop-

 _Izuku agreed with Dabi's plan, after a few modifications. Surprisingly the kid also agreed that death was too good for Endeavor. He sent a note to Tomura via Toga to tell him that destroying the Number One Hero's reputation would do more damage in the long run. I suspect it plays into Izuku's plans, not necessarily Tomura's plans but we are working towards the same goal, so forwarding one plan is forwarding them all._

 _Killing Endeavor would prove to the world that the League is still there, but he'd just be replaced. He's not All Might. It wouldn't be the blow killing the former Symbol of Peace would have had. Tomura knows that._

 _But destroying Endeavor's reputation, no matter how that is achieved, will rock society and that will help our cause. Hero society was very careful to portray All Might's reveal as a victory. He went out (into retirement) by taking out one of the most dangerous villains the world has ever known. They spun it as a glorious end. They had too because everyone knew Endeavor was a poor replacement. That has sown some doubt, taking down Endeavor will sow more. And the more people doubt heroes, the better it is for us._

 _Society relies on a certain amount of trust. People trust that their government is doing its best for them. They trust that heroes are doing their best. If that trust falters… it is a delicate balance between social order and chaos. I would say that hero society has become weak. It had become complacent because for a long time the balance has been towards them._

 _It's time to shift the weight._

-afop-

The first indication that something happened came when the news channel broke to a new story. Around the new bar, there were several beeps from phones. The tones indicated that it was a news update rather than a text or something else. Just because they were villains didn't mean that they did not follow the news. In fact some of them were far more informed than a regular hero about the goings on in the world. Several of the gathered villains reached to their phone to see what the commotion was. Others started at the TV.

Kurogiri caught the words 'Breaking News' as he cleaned a glass. He turned slightly and felt his eyes widen.

On the screen was a picture of Endeavor and the scrolling bar underneath was… proclaiming that the Villain Dabi, associated with the League of Villains was really Touya Todoroki, Endeavor's supposedly institutionalised son.

"What?" Tomura demanded. Dabi wasn't present. He'd gone out earlier saying that today was the day he'd organised with Imoku.

Most of the villains put their phones down as they looked at the TV.

"We're going to a live interview now," the announcer was saying. The view on the screen changed.

Dabi was there. His blue eyes were piercing under the studio lights. His usual jacket and t-shirt had been discarded and he was dressed in a blue changshan. It brought out his eyes and highlighted the burnt skin covering him. He looked good in it. "Thank you for having me," Dabi said to the interviewer.

Kurogiri vaguely recognised the woman but couldn't put a name to her face. She was an investigative reporter who usually focused on politics. She was known for her hard hitting exposes on scandals politicians would far rather be forgotten. That explained Imoku's involvement. He'd probably been able to contact her on Dabi's behalf and then discreetly arrange the tests required to prove he was Touya Todoroki.

"I guess the first thing I have to ask is the thing everyone wants to know," the woman was saying intently. "You are the first born son of the Number One Hero Endeavor and his wife but you are an acknowledged part of the League of Villains, so how did that happen?"

Dabi smiled and held up his hands. There was a cuff on each wrist. Quirk suppression. Had he given himself up or was that a term of the interview? Kurogiri didn't know. Only Imoku would but he wasn't here.

"It's not a nice story, Kazue."

She looked sympathetic. "Just take your time," she encouraged but didn't relent on the question.

Dabi sighed theatrically. "I guess it starts with my mother," he said with a soft smile.

Kurogiri would have watched more but his phone rang. It was on silent so he felt the vibrations. He pulled it out of his misty form and looked down at the screen. The number was one didn't recognise. Cautiously he answered.

"Kurogiri."

He recognised the voice. Imoku. Unseen Kurogiri worried one lip.

"Dabi's coordinates are 35,51,13.60 139,38,27.26 at an elevation of 10.4 m."

Kurogiri felt his eyes widen even as he committed the coordinates to memory. "You set this up?" He couldn't help the question.

There was a moment of silence to his question. "Death is… quick," Imoku explained. "This will reverberate further. Pick him up whenever you think he's said enough."

The line went dead. The mist villain didn't bother to save the number. Imoku wouldn't have used any phone that could be traced to him.

Instead he looked back to the screen. Tomura was glaring at it.

Kurogiri listened to what Dabi was saying. "... perfect child, one with both quirks so that he could train them to defeat All Might."

"Defeat All Might?" Kazue seemed surprised.

"Not in combat," Dabi was quick to reassure her. "To become the next Number One Hero. And Endeavor was prepared to do whatever it took to get that. All you need to do is look at the birth dates of my siblings. We are all born about 5 years apart. When Fuyumi didn't show both quirks, he got my mother pregnant again with me. When I didn't have both quirks, he sired Natsuo and when he didn't have both quirks either, Shouto, who finally has both quirks."

Kazue Matsushita did a good job of looking outraged. Kurogiri could tell the feeling was real but at the same time he knew she would also be happy. This was one hell of a story.

"And how do you feel about that?" Kazue asked.

"Once it was known I didn't have both quirks, once it was known any of us didn't have them, we were abandoned. Oh, not cut off, and not kicked out of the house. That would destroy father's oh so carefully built reputation but he ignored us. So how do I feel about that? I feel sorry for my little brother Shouto. He's had to put up with dad's abuse for all his life."

"Abuse?" That was a strong term.

"Abuse," Dabi insisted and his eyes flashed despite the quirk suppression bracelets. "What else do you call training until you can't move, until you throw up? What do you call verbal attacks, and physical attacks all designed to try to make you into something that can take the number one hero position? Your entire life planned by him? That's why I'm meant to be in some institution." The smile Dabi gave wasn't pleasant. He gestured to himself, pulling up one sleeve to reveal that the burns went all the way up his arms. "Not all of these are self inflicted."

Kazue gasped when she understood the meaning of that. "He burned you?"

"Every day until the day he decided I'd never get Mother's precious Ice quirk. Though I have to admit, not all of the burns are his. They are the reason I was in that institution. I wanted to get away. I wanted to get away so badly I'd take any opportunity. And thankfully for me, I have one built in. I set myself on fire."

Kazue looked sick. Dabi looked detached.

"Fuyumi put me out and saw that I got to the hospital but then he decided that he didn't want anything come out, so instead of coming home, I was shuttled off to the institution. He never once visited me. He never once allowed Mother to visit me either. Fuyumi tried but he controls her too."

"Those are some very serious allegations but surely you know with your status, any evidence you provide would be discounted?" It was a dangerous question but it was one that spoke to the truth of the world. A villain's word, even when speaking the truth, was worth less than a hero's.

Dabi chuckled. "That's the beauty of it. I don't have to testify against him. With the exception of self immolation, everything he did to me, he did to my siblings, including Shouto. I know the word of a villain isn't to be trusted, and even if I showed up to testify, I'd be arrested but I don't need to. I've opened the door. You have the blood tests to prove that I'm Touya Todoroki and villain or not, with my three siblings able to corroborate the facts, that's enough."

Kazue looked surprised for a moment before she nodded. She'd probably not thought of that. "If your Father was found guilty of things, would you give up being a villain?"

"No," Dabi's response was instantaneous. "The world has forgotten what the word Hero truly means. Now it's a title assigned to any punk with a strong enough quirk, and thus, there are too few true heroes in the world. I want to change that, and to do that, the false heroes have to be weeded out."

Off set there was a noise and some shouting. The police and Heroes had finally tracked down the interview site.

"You can't come in here!" The shout was heard.

"Dabi!"

Dabi looked off to the side for a moment before he smiled. "That's my cue."

Kurogiri knew what that meant. He expanded, opened the warp gate. On the screen a swirl of darkness appeared behind Dabi, and the Leader of the Vanguard Action Squad stood and stepped around the chair. Kazue just watched. At least she knew better than to interfere.

Dabi nodded his head to her as a salute before he stepped into the swirling black and it disappeared the moment a hero leapt into the shot.

In the bar, all eyes turned to Kurogiri, who gestured and the portal opened for Dabi to step through. He looked around, his eyes glittering before he bowed to them all. "And that dear League, is how you take down the Number One Hero," he said happily..

-afop-

 _It's been a few weeks since Dabi gave that interview. Tomura was angry in the aftermath. He remained angry until he saw the next Pro-Hero ranking list. Endeavor was down to five. The official rankings are published once a year, but updates are available every month and there is reason to believe that Endeavor will fall further. The issue just hasn't gone away. There is a lot of speculation in public about what it means to be a hero. There is a lot of scrutiny on heroes. Every aspect of Endeavor's life has been picked at and pulled apart._

 _I don't know if there is a case being built against him. I suspect there is._

 _Imoku has been quiet. Tomura demanded he come to the bar and after some wrangling he did. There was nothing really to say though. Dabi's actions fitted more into one of Imoku's plans but politics doesn't give fast results, not like Tomura's attacks but politics generally gives a more lasting outcome. It's a balance and both are needed. Imoku took Tomura aside and spoke to him privately for a while. It looked odd. Imoku was dressed in a suit, Tomura in his usual t-shirt. It almost looked as if a respectable father was telling off his wayward child. Yet, Tomura seemed happier after their discussion. I expect Imoku had to explain a few things to Shigaraki but it appears to have worked._

 _In the meantime, those Sensei saved have been making another Noumu. A stronger one. It is nearly ready to be unleashed. Tomura radiates a sense of childish glee every time he talks about it. Now is the time to use it, with the world already reeling, with the seeds of doubt already sown, now is not the time to hold back._

-afop-

"What the hell is this?" Representative Masami asked. She was more than exasperated. She was horrified.

"Proof that the system has failed," one of her colleagues answered immediately.

Usually Masami wouldn't be part of such a group. She was still in her first term but given that she had been instrumental in bringing Imoku Kakurete's proposal through the party and seeing it brought into law, she was now involved in this party room meeting.

They were reviewing the evidence against Endeavor, which included interviews with three of his children. The fourth child, Touya had given an all too public interview but it was not considered evidence. But everything Touya had alluded to was confirmed by Endeavor's other children, though the youngest, Shouto had been reluctant to speak. She could understand that. This was not going to be easy for him.

"Maybe not failed but it needs an overhaul," one of the other's said before he fixed Masami with one eye. "Do you believe Imoku might have anything ready?"

They could write a proposal but why bother if an independent had already done it? It wasn't like the independent Imoku could get his policy through without their help anyway. And Imoku knew it. It was actually nice working with an independent who wasn't arrogant, though they were all waiting for something. Independents always had one issue they refused to be pushed on. It was just a matter of finding it.

Masami looked confused for a moment before she nodded. "Probably," she admitted. "He had that other bill ready."

"And the sales pitch for it," someone else grumbled.

There was a moment where they wondered if they were being played. In the early days of quirks, that possibility had been guarded against. All Representatives were routinely checked for signs of quirk control. Imoku could not be using any quirk on them. But it was possible he was simply playing a political game. Except, they all stuck on the fact that Imoku was independent. He simply couldn't progress further in politics unless he had a party's support. And even if he created his own party… it would just be a fringe one. It was unlikely that he could climb to the top.

"Is there any chance Imoku would join us?"

"Join us?" Masami asked.

"Join the party," came the clarification.

Masami considered it. "Maybe," she said slowly, "but let's face it, he has his own agenda."

"Which is not necessarily a bad one."

That was true. Public approval in the wake of the HMBH (Heroes Must Be Heroes) bill had been high. The Party had benefited from implementing it. "With what's come out about Endeavor the public is calling for us to make sure that Shouto doesn't become a villain. So maybe that's the easiest thing. We extend the HMBH bill. Instead of just targeting incoming students, it should cover those already in training."

"It wouldn't take much to amend it," Masami admitted. Imoku's proposal had been written very carefully. "But why not just extend it to cover Heroes as well?" She asked.

"Because the public isn't ready for that." A new voice broke in on their conversation.

Masami looked up. "Imoku!" she exclaimed.

The others looked slightly suspicious before Imoku smiled at them. "Sorry to intrude," he said gently with a bow.

Suspicion faded. "It saves us from finding you," one of the older Representatives said. "You've read the documents?"

The fact that they were meant to be restricted didn't mean that much. It was a test to see if Imoku had the contacts needed.

"Yes."

"And you set up that interview," another said shrewdly.

Imoku nodded but he raised his hands. "It wasn't much," he said humbly. "Touya simply needed to be heard. All I did was make sure he had the opportunity."

No one believed that for a moment. Helping the villain Dabi was part of a larger ploy but that didn't mean they couldn't also benefit from it.

"If I may be so bold," Imoku said before anyone said anything further, "I do in fact have something further written," he announced, reaching into a bag and putting a small sheaf of papers on the table.

"New legislation?"

"Amendments," Imoku clarified his eyes fixed on Minister for Heroes, Yumiko Yamashita, who thus far had been silent.

She smiled up at him, gesturing for Imoku to take a seat. "I think we can work with that," Yumiko announced, picking up the papers Imoku had slid towards her.

-afop-

 _The plan was to release the latest Noumu against the Number One Hero. There's been a hitch in that plan. It's not nice to kill someone who wants to defect after all. That means the plan has been delayed. There is debate as to if Hawks' desire is real. It would be an odd thing to have a double agent, especially given how highly ranked Hawks is but it is not out of the question._

 _The stakes we play for are that high. Tomura asked Imoku to find out. While Imoku is an independent Representative, he has been working with the government in power to get his bills passed. He has access to those who might know the play. And if Hawks is just a play, then the League will be happy to go a few rounds._

 _Unleashing the latest Noumu, High End on the number two hero, Best Jeanist won't have the same effect. It was partially designed to kill Endeavor but Dabi has taken care of that. The saga with Endeavor continues and each month his ranking is lower and lower. It must be frustrating to him. He is still clearing incidents but the public spectacle that is his family is dragging him down._

 _There is talk now that his son, Shouto is unfit to be a hero. The Hero Public Safety Commission, under direction from the Government has moved fast to implement changes to the HMBH Bill. The original bill was restricted to those applying to hero courses. It now applies to those in training. Imoku was happy to relay those details via Toga. The tests haven't been administered yet but all eyes are on Shouto. The world wants to know if he's…_

 _Given his standing in the UA Sport's festival and other events, Endeavor's youngest son is capable, probably more capable than his eldest brother but what the public wants to know is if he is suitable. I've always said it takes a certain type to become a hero, and a certain type to become a villain. The problem with the Hero system is that they have never sought the types. Villainy has inbuilt checks and balances. Those not suited to it are quickly weeded out by the heroes. Those suited remain and while some do get taken out, those of us who embrace our position, who embrace our fate are the best._

 _Heroes… well, they are just those who have flashy quirks. There is nothing to ensure that they are someone worth looking up to. Stain was correct in that matter at least. Though the argument still remains that all heroes should be destroyed. The system is fundamentally flawed and the League will prove it._

-afop-

Aizawa looked at his class. The twenty he had started with was no longer. While he had avoided expelling anyone on the first day, others had fallen by the wayside. Iida killed by the Hero Killer Stain. Mineta with injuries inflicted by that villain, the so called Leader of the League of Villains. Others had succumb to the stress and the attacks during the year. In his more private moments, he felt some pity towards them. This had not been a normal year, but in other moments, he was thankful that they had dropped out now. It was better than they take another path rather than shatter if they made it be a hero.

Now there was another hurdle in their path yet Aizawa couldn't say he didn't agree with this one.

"Your enrollments for next year are pending," he told them.

"What?" There was a variety of reactions, including some explosions from Katsuki. Aizawa ignored them. It was easier than trying to deal with it and eventually Momo Yaoyorozu managed to calm the class. She wasn't the stickler for rules that Iida was but she knew enough.

"They are pending," he repeated. "There is new legislation that applies to all Hero Courses," he told them. At that, it looked like a few of them understood. That was good. Shouto he expected. The boy's brother was practically the cause of the new legislation. Momo also looked like she knew what was going on but she had the benefit of coming from a hero family. They would have kept her informed. Bakugou also knew but while the kid was arrogant and abrasive, he was also good at what he did.

The others didn't appear to understand but at least they'd figure out there was no getting out of this. All hero courses across Japan had to implement the change. It just depended on if they did so at the end of the year or at the beginning, before classes started. Nedzu had decided to be a bastard and make it at the beginning of the school year, despite what everyone wanted. The rat had to know that he was frustrating many people but maybe that was the point. Those who screamed the loudest might give them some clues.

Aizawa wasn't sure what the clues would be for but there was always something going on.

"Your enrollments will be dependent on you passing a mandated psychological assessment to be administered by the Hero Public Safety Bureau."

"Even though we aren't heroes?" Uraraka asked.

"You have your provisional licenses," Aizawa reminded them. That was close enough.

"I'm sure you will all pass, and even if you fail, there is the opportunity to undergo counselling and re-assessment," he added. "In the event of failure, UA will automatically transfer your enrollment to the General Studies course."

Katsuki took that as an insult but he couldn't get around this. Either he took the test or he was automatically unenrolled. UA would take those who failed but they couldn't take those who didn't have the courage to take the assessment. Some from the General Studies course were being offered the opportunity to take the assessment as well. If they passed, they'd move into the Hero course.

"You all have Summer Studies," Aizawa reminded them. "I would advise you to spend at least some of that time thinking about why you want to be a hero." He knew they all had their reasons, he just hoped they were the right reasons but he suspected there'd be at least a few who weren't with him next year.

-afop-

 _Tomura is learning that to lead, you don't need to use the resources as they come to you. You can save them for a later date. And sometimes that's best. Waiting means you can strike harder later. He's decided to keep the Noumu in reserve. But it doesn't suit to not strike. There is one thing about being a villain that Tomura truly understands. Unless you are one who wants to remain in the background, who wants to just survive and not change anything, you have to be seen._

 _For a Hero that's easy. They have patrols. The public is used to seeing them. For a villain that means you have to do something. With the Number One Hero's possible defection, Tomura has decided that we can take out another hero. He will capitalise on Dabi's new found fame, even though it does mean that most of the Heroes are gunning for him, and that Dabi's quirk is known, there are things that can be done._

 _Pro-Hero Ranked Kamui Woods will know that the League means business. Most will think we targeted him because his quirk is weak against Dabi's but that's what villains do._

 _It's not like we have to fight fair._


	7. Part 1: Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"We have to do something about this so called League!" The Minister for Heroes, Yumiko Yamashita slammed her hand down on her desk as she addressed her subordinates. They were mostly public servants. They weren't elected. They didn't know what it meant to have their constituents turn against them. To have their party turn against them.

"Ma'am, we are doing all we can!" the objection came from the Head of the Hero Public Safety Bureau, which was the main department she oversaw.

"Are you?" Yumiko asked sarcastically.

"We are, Ma'am," came the reassurance.

"It sure doesn't look like it," she snapped back. "They've killed hero after hero!" She reminded them.

It wasn't, strictly speaking, quite true, but this League had revealed All Might's weakened form and caused him to retire. They had then brought down Endeavor with the scandal that was his family and now they had outright killed Kamui Woods, the former Number 6 Hero… And they'd done in on live TV, showing Dabi burning the hero alive. The station had been censured for that but it didn't change the fact that the public had seen it.

More than that, they had attacked UA several times.

And what did the Heroes, and by extension the government have to show for it?

Nothing. An old man locked up in Tartarus but nothing more. The new Leader, this Tomura Shigaraki was getting stronger. He was gaining more followers and the influence of the League was spreading. The Heroes weren't keeping up.

"We're doing all we c-"

"No!" Yumiko interrupted the platitude. "You need to do more," she told them all. "You need to find them and arrest them! And it needs to be soon."

Every time the League made a move, the Government had acted, using an independent Representative's suggestions. They were good suggestions, but they had to do more. The fault lay with them and the public was quick to blame. They weren't blaming Imoku because he was the one who came up with suggestions to help regain trust but they were blaming the Government because even if they went with Imoku's suggestions, they were the ones who were letting the League run wild.

"We can't just arr-"

Yumiko glared. "You have leads? Pursue them."

"Nothing strong," the Commissioner General said. He was the head of Police in Japan. He had dark grey hair and sharp eyes. He knew how to play both politics and his underlings.

"What about your plan?" Yumiko questioned, glaring at the Head of the Public Safety Bureau. They had come up with a stupidly reckless plan but what good was it if it did nothing?

"We are still working on it. It's not like they trust him," came the response. "And with his promotion, it's made it more risky."

Yumiko could understand that. If it came out that the Number One Hero, Hawks had defected to the League it would be a disaster. It didn't matter that he was being a double agent, all the public would see was the betrayal, and that would be the end of everything.

"You have to do something," she reiterated.

"Ma'am, we really are doing all we can."

"Then perhaps I can help?"

The entire group spun in surprise. They were in a governmental meeting room. The building itself was guarded but… Who was this?

Yumiko looked at the man. He was tall, slender and had dark hair with piercing eyes. His hair was swept back and he had a mask over the lower part of his face. He also had a lanyard around his neck. She saw the colour of it. Green. That meant he had clearance here but she had no idea who he was. Thankfully the others with her were just as confused, though the Commissioner General had a frown on his features, as if he was trying to recall something.

"And you are?" She questioned.

The man nodded and moved forward to take the seat at the other end of the table. It left several empty seats between him and the others nearest to him. He pulled something from his pocket, and placed it on the table but kept his hand on it, so they couldn't see what it was.

"My name is Kai Chisaki," the man said.

There was no flash of recognition from anyone.

"You might better know me as Overhaul," he continued.

That brought recognition. Yumiko still didn't know who he was, but the Commissioner General did. "What?" His spluttered question was full of denial. "The Eight Precepts are meant to be destroyed."

The man just quirked an eyebrow. "As if I'd let that punk destroy us."

"The Eight what?" Yumiko demanded.

The Commissioner General turned to the Minister, aware that she shouldn't even be present in the room with this man. "The Eight Precepts were… are a Yakuza organisation," he explained.

Chisaki gave him a nod. "We got into a bit of a fight with the League," he added the explanation.

"So they didn't destroy you?" The Commissioner General demanded.

"They like to think they have."

Yumiko nodded. She could read between the lines. Politicians said the same as Yakuza it appeared. The League had done a number on the Precepts, probably destroying facilities and killing members, but they hadn't got them all.

"So, I have an offer for you," Chisaki said, lifting his hand to reveal what he'd placed on the table.

It appeared to be a vial, or a liquid bullet, the type some of the old movies had.

Yumiko looked at it. She didn't know what it was. Again the Commissioner General gasped. As did the Head of the Public Safety Bureau.

"You completed it?" The question was whispered.

Yumiko knew better than to demand to know immediately.

Chisaki lifted his hand to his mask, pulling it off. He smiled. "We did and I'm prepared to offer them for use against the League. Off the record, of course."

Yumiko got the impression that if the Commissioner General could scramble back, he would. What was that bullet?

The Head of the Public Safety Bureau tore her eyes away from the bullet to look at the Commissioner General. The man was pale but saw her look. He took a deep breath before he nodded.

"Off the record," he confirmed.

Chisaki lifted one hand, swiping over the bullet before he put it back in his pocket as he rose. "I'll let you explain," he said, pleasantly, turning to leave.

Yumiko didn't move as he left.

"You'd better bloody well explain!" She growled as soon as the door closed. "And it better bloody be good," she added, glaring at the public servants.

This had better be darn good!

-afop-

 _When Imoku requested Tomura come to dinner with Toga, I knew the League had a problem. When Tomura immediately rang me to come, and sent Toga away, I knew it was a huge problem. My mind was full of possibilities. Betrayal? The problem with that is the simple fact that everyone is a possibility then. Villain society isn't know for its loyalty but all those in the League, those who made up the core of the League had been tested together. They were loyal, or as loyal as anyone was going to get._

 _I wasn't prepared for what Izuku said, though in hindsight I should have been._

 _The Eight Precepts of Death._

 _Tomura had taken action against them in the past. They'd then gone to ground. That was normal for the underworld. I assumed they'd joined another group but apparently not. Overhaul nursed a grudge. A big one. And with his grudge, and knowledge he collected the anti-quirk bullets that had not been used. He has them all._

 _And he's given them to the Government. Which means he's given them to the Heroes. Which probably means they've gone to Snipe. Or one of the other Heroes with a gun quirk and good aim._

 _Izuku looked at me. The way he did was a warning. I understand. Transport quirks are rare. Warp quirks even more so. I represent an ace for the League. If they can take me out, then the League is stuck in place._

 _Tomura knows that as well. He doesn't like it but he knows. I sighed. I knew what that meant. It's happened before. Not with quirk eliminating bullets but being targeted. I don't like hiding. I don't seek the spotlight but I don't like hiding._

 _Especially now, when things were going so well. Izuku saw us off. He promised to get more information if he could but he is still an independent Representative. Tomura told him to change that but Izuku shook his head. His reasoning was flawless. If he is tied to a party, he's tied to their ideals, he's tied to their fate. He doesn't want that._

 _Tomura still ordered him to get more power. Izuku grinned at that. I don't think he needed to be told. Power is one of the things he's wanted. He assured Tomura he'd find a way. I can't see how, but I'm sure, Izuku will find a way._

-afop-

"And we are here today with a rising star of the Hero world, Lemillion!" Kazue chirped happily. After her interview with the Villain Dabi, she had expanded her repertoire. Interviewing Heroes made for a good side gig for when political scandals were running slow. Besides, scandal tended to show up in election years.

Lemillion smiled at the camera and waved cheerfully. He was everything a hero should be. Tall, well muscled and he had an easy smile. Some were already comparing him to All Might, though he had a long way to go before he could claim that. Still, this interview was something Japan needed. Kazue wasn't blind. She knew how much faith had been lost in heroes, and she knew what her actions had done but the public needed the truth.

Even so, she could help restore faith in true heroes.

"You are one of the newest graduates from UA and you have already been working with Sir Nighteye! What's it like working with the only side kick All Might had?"

"It's interesting!" Lemillion was happy to reply. "Sir is such an inspiration."

Kazue nodded carefully. That was such a standard reply but this interview wasn't one that was meant to break ratings. It was meant to show that Heroes were still the good guys. That's why she was interviewing the new graduates who were doing well.

"Does he mention All Might?" Another standard question but even with All Might's retirement, people still wanted to hear about him. He had been at the top for so long, and with the fiasco with Endeavor just not going away, it meant that people wanted the past.

Kazue knew she started the Endeavor problem, but its continuing legs was the former Number One Hero's fault. Who knew he's been using his position to cover up so much for so long? He may have had one of the highest case clearing rates in Japan but… He was really a terrible person.

"Some," Lemillion said. "I actually got to know All Might better at UA."

"Ah yes, he was a teacher there for your last year."

Lemillion nodded.

"What was the biggest thing you learned off him?"

"Oh, that's hard," Lemillion smiled as he said it. "I think the most important thing I learned from All Might is that everyone can be a hero to someone," he added. "All it takes is a little bit of kindness, or a smile, and that can make someone's day."

Cheesy but expected, Kazue nodded her response. "You've been working in the Hero industry for a while now, so what is your goal?" The question was a bit of a change of pace.

"I have my goal with my Hero name: Lemillion!" He tapped his chest where the number 1000000 was on display. "I want to save one million people with a smile!" He told her.

"A lofty goal," Kazue said sagely. "The hero world has changed a lot in recent years. The Hero Public Safety Board has brought in new mandatory testing for Hero Course applicants and for those studying. What do you think of that?" It was a more dangerous question. No doubt Lemillion had already been briefed on how to hand dangerous questions.

"I think it's a good thing," he said without missing a beat. "The new testing will go a long way to make sure that people are properly prepared to be Heroes, and that where they need it, they can seek help. Heroes sometimes need help too, and the HPSB is there to help Heroes just as much as it is to help everyone else. So it's a good thing, and while I know people have doubts now, I'm sure in a few years we'll look back and wonder what all the fuss was about."

Yep, the kid had definitely been briefed about how to handle difficult questions, though it was a good thing. The public would feel reassured if they knew Heroes were in support of the testing. And the testing was designed to help everyone. People were forgetting that. It was designed so that they didn't end up with another Dabi. It wasn't quite there to ensure they didn't get another Endeavor but if someone wa that bad, that young, then they'd be picked up.

She didn't feel bad about her part in that. No. She didn't. The public deserved to know. But the public also deserved to trust heroes and Kazue would do her part.

-afop-

 _We lost Magne. She's not dead but to our world, she might as well be. Quirkless and captured. She covered Tomura, so at least he'll remember her. I'm not sure if that's any comfort for her, but that's the best that can be hoped for._

 _The question remains if Overhaul knows we know about him. The best case is that he doesn't. The worst… Well, they - Overhaul and the Heroes - know we know about the quirk destroying bullets. But we don't know how many they have. And they know that._

 _It's frustrating. I estimate they have to have at least 5 but they could have more. Overhaul was good at keeping records to himself, and the League has never gone after that. At least, we can be certain that they can't make more. But that doesn't help when you don't know where they might be and how many they might have._

 _Tomura's getting frustrated. We are all getting frustrated. That's what the Government wants. Imoku hasn't been able to find out much. They don't tell Independents how ongoing Police operations are. They don't tell the Minister either. Operational decisions are not made at that level._

 _Though… Maybe there is a way out of this. We do have options. I wonder if the bullets would work on Noumu? Maybe it's time to find out._

-afop-

"Well, I can't say as I'm surprised by the results," Imoku said, putting down the paper.

"Half," Masami muttered. She seemed shocked.

"And a third of the incoming," Imoku told her mercilessly.

"How does this happen?"

Imoku looked at Masami with an odd smile. It was one of those smiles that questioned why she was even asking. He'd known the results were going to be bad. If anything he was pleasantly surprised that they weren't worse.

"I know how it happens," Masami snarked at him before she sighed. "Are you coming?"

"Coming?" Imoku asked.

"To the meeting," she reminded him. They were in the Parliament building though there was no official sitting today.

"You do realise it's a party discussion," Imoku said carefully. And he wasn't a member of her party. And he wasn't prepared for a meeting today. Not a large one at least. He didn't have the energy.

"Yes but they trust you," Masami told him. "And the higher ups want to hear any ideas you have."

Imoku grinned. It was a friendly grin. "Then I'll come," he said, completely ignoring out how out of place it was for him to be attending a party meeting, just the way as they'd ignore it.

"Good, then let's go."

It only took them a few minutes to get to the meeting. It was being held in the Government building after all.

"Good, you brought him," was not the welcome Imoku was expecting. It was better than he expected because while he knew Masami trusted him and would do what he wanted, mostly, he wasn't sure about the rest of her party. To them, he was just an Independent. One with some good ideas they could use.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Kiyoshi Takenaka headed up the table. This was far better than he thought. He gave the room sunny smile, while assessing his reserves.

He'd have to make this work. He hadn't been expecting an invitation of this type yet.

"I take it you've seen the results." It wasn't really a question.

Imoku looked directly at the Deputy Prime Minister. "I was telling Masami that I wasn't overly surprised by them."

"Really?" There was scorn lacing the question. The man really could put a wealth of emotion into his voice. A definite skill for a politician.

Imoku returned the look accompanying the question. "You saw UA's Sport's Festival last year," he replied. "Specifically the First Year podium."

"Ah," Kiyoshi Takenaka nodded. Apparently he had seen the podium. The image of Bakugou muzzled and chained to a stake was a powerful one.

"So no, I'm not surprised by the results."

"Half the current heroes in training failed," the Deputy said. "And there isn't enough interested from the General courses to replace them."

"It's a disaster!" Masami murmured. "We can't let it be known," she added.

Imoku didn't bother look towards her. "It's going to become known," he said firmly. The legislation made sure of that and while he could feign concern with the rest of them, inwardly he was very pleased. This was one of the best results possible, for him, and for the League.

"Did you know this would happen?" The question was pointed. "Was this your plan?" That was more an accusation.

Imoku cocked his head, looking at the Deputy Prime Minister. "It isn't my plan," he told the room.

"Yet you are not surprised at the results!"

"I'm surprised you are surprised!" Imoku snapped back. He could see the game now. Really, he should have seen it from the beginning. The results were bad. Fifty percent of those already enrolled in heroic courses failed the Hero Bureau of Public Safety's required psyche assessment. There were not enough from the General Courses to replace them, and even if there was, public perception would be that those students were the substitutes, the runners up. They weren't the best, and Heroes had to be the best. Compounding the issue was that roughly a third of those who had applied to hero courses failed the assessment as well.

Unless something was done, it meant in a few years, the number of heroes would drop.

And Japan couldn't afford that.

"This is your plan! Well, it's finished. We will not stand for it! Get out." The words were huffed by Kiyoshi and he turned away partially, obviously expecting to be obeyed.

"No," Imoku said clearly. If he left, the Government would pin the disaster on him. It was easy. He was the Independent who's suggested the assessments. Never mind that it was designed to ensure that a Hero was really a hero. That wouldn't matter. All the government, and the public would see was that they were short heroes.

Well it was time everyone woke up and realised that heroes weren't the solution.

Imoku moved forward, and took the empty seat at the other end of the table. He kept his eyes fixed on the Deputy Prime Minister. "It's time to start dealing with reality. You of all people know the history of the last few years, you know how much has been covered up with-" Imoku paused for emphasis. The room was just staring at him. They were wondering what accusation he'd make. "Selective reporting," he said with a wry smile. Did they think he was stupid enough to blame the government? To blame their party?

Well he did, but now was not the time to say it. Later, when they wouldn't disagree, that was when he'd teach them that.

"Selective positive reporting that has highlighted the infallibility of Heroes, that has highlighted their good deeds. Selective positive reporting that announced that Endeavor captured a fire starter wanted for setting fire to three apartment buildings, killing 20, but never mentioning that Endeavor killed 10 while trying to capture the villain." He went with Endeavor first because the man had a long history of such things. And with the new history coming out… well, he was easy to associate with Hero failures.

"And no one ever mentioned how many All Might failed to save at Kamino," Imoku pushed.

"He couldn't have known that villain would be there!" The objection was simple.

"He couldn't have," Imoku agreed, extending his reach. "But isn't he paid to take precautions? Shouldn't he have retreated as soon as he knew, and come back at a different time? Or perhaps he should have left it to someone else… Let the police evacuate the citizens, and then allowed a sniper to take the villain out."

The party representatives winced at his blunt assessment but they had seen the clean up bill. They knew other ways would have been cheaper.

"Get out," Kiyoshi repeated.

"No," Imoku stood - or rather sat - firm. He leaned forward placing his elbows on the table as he rested his chin on his hands. "You can have your little temper tantrum later," he told the room, ignoring the gasps.

The Deputy Prime Minister looked back at him, face livid with rage but Imoku simply stared at him, daring him to object. Kiyoshi's mouth opened and closed a few times before it snapped shut. Imoku already knew that everything he'd thought to say had been countered. It was the way these things worked.

"This is a problem that has been building for years, and now it is time that it was dealt with once and for all. You can take the easy path, which will be to just scrap the assessments, or you can take the right path and ensure that those who are awarded the accolade of Hero are truly Heroes."

Imoku moved his eyes around the room, meeting the gaze of all the Representatives here. It gathered them to him but it was tiring. He knew what they wanted to do. They wanted to scrap the assessments. To say that while the assessments were good, those who failed would be allowed to continue so long as they got counselling. But that wasn't the path Imoku wanted and he wasn't here to allow the Government the easy path. He was here to ensure his plans succeeded, and that required the assessments, and it required them to be public.

It also required the assessments to apply to heroes, which they currently didn't.

Every eye in the room was on him. It was a good thing this was a private meeting or it would look odd. It looked like Imoku, the Independent, first time elected Representative was the one in control, not Deputy Prime Minister Kiyoshi Takenaka.

"All you have to do is trust me," Imoku said. "It will be difficult, I'm not saying that it won't be, but now is the time to hold firm, and you have that time," he added with a smile. Sensei had always said in politics, and in business you couldn't just demand something, you had to offer something in return. It was a valuable lesson. "It's three years until the next election, that means the current crop of heroes will be hitting the streets. That means the benefits of the changes will be seen.

"It's going to be a difficult few years," Imoku allowed with what seemed to be a sad smile. In reality it was smug. Difficult only began to describe it. Tomura would be doing everything in his power to take down the Heroes, and if Tomura did it well, people would be actively trying _not_ to be heroes. "But that's what happens when you become complacent. There is no question that All Might was a true hero, but we forgot, everyone forgot, that he is also a man, he couldn't be everywhere at once, and he was going to retire. We got lucky with him but we can no longer just sit on the sidelines and leave everything to one man. We all forgot that we have a responsibility to create a brighter future, a safer future, we can't rely on one man.

"So now, it will be difficult. But the benefits will outweigh the pain. We are already allowing heroes to use lethal force, how much better will it be when they won't because that goes against their ethos, but they still get the job done? How much stronger will faith in heroes be? Not all the Heroes are Endeavor but the way the system was going, they would be. What you have to do now is nurture those who will be heroes for the right reasons, and to do that, and all you have to do is hold firm, until the next election," Imoku finished.

Kiyoshi nodded, though he didn't look pleased. Imoku could live with that. It wasn't a pleasing thing. He didn't have to be pleased, none of them did, they just had to do it, and that would please him, which really was the point.

"No, we have to go further," Kiyoshi said slowly. "The assessment will weed out those who could be the next Endeavor and while it is good, we don't know what nightmares are awaiting us in the existing hero ranks."

"We need to weed out those who are unworthy," someone else agreed.

Imoku smiled. That's exactly what they needed to do. He rose, being careful to remain quiet as the Government representatives talked, and walked to the door. He let himself out.

Once in the corridor, Imoku braced himself against the wall but couldn't hold himself upright as his legs trembled. He slid down so that he was sitting on the floor, breathing heavily. His eyes blurred.

"Sir! Are you alright?"

The noise wasn't welcome but Imoku recognised the uniform of one of the security officers who worked in the building. He dragged in air, forcing his head up. He couldn't afford to be taken to hospital now. It would raise too many questions. "I'm fine," he managed to say.

The guard didn't buy it.

"I just need to eat," Imoku told him. "Can you help me to the cafeteria?"

It wasn't far and once he got some food, he'd be okay. Tomorrow, after sleeping, he'd be fine.

"Are you sure, Sir?" the guard asked politely. He no doubt recognised the ribbon rose, Imoku had on his suit. It was the badge all Representatives wore.

"Positive," Imoku said, lifting one hand. The guard helped him stand. "It's going to be okay," Imoku told the guard as he walked away from the meeting.

It really was going to be okay, and now all he had to to was wait.

At least until it was time for Phase 2 of his plans.


	8. Part 1: Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _There is a certain thrill with overkill. As a villain, it is bad practice but I often forget how young those of the League truly are. With everything that has happened, and the threat of Quirk Nullification bullets being aimed specifically at us, it was good that they got to have some fun. It let off some steam._

 _I could see the way everyone was relaxed when they returned from the raid. Tomura was even in a good mood. I saw why when the Noumu High End returned. That Noumu is really a crowning achievement. It's loyal not just because it was ordered to be but because it wants to be. It was carrying something when it emerged from my warp gate, something it set down carefully on the bar._

 _It was some sort of safe. Tomura opened it with his usual finesse by disintegrating the door. Quirk Nullification bullets were inside._

 _I'm told it is almost the entire stock but no one saw Overhaul. They were being stored in a government building. Apparently UA wasn't considered safe enough, which makes sense. It is a school. It has good security and the actions of the League have ensured that security there is tight and robust but it is still a school. You do not store things that Villain's might be after in a school. The government building made sense._

 _Tomura is happy we have them. The best course would be to destroy them but he wants to keep them. I understand. They are a resource but they are a dangerous resource. We don't have a sniper at present, though apparently Tomura has a plan for that. He hasn't said anything but I know the look he gave me. I'm not going to like it._

 _At the moment, if he plans to use them, the question must be who to use them on._

 _Hawks, who still apparently wishes to join us? Best Jeanist, Edgeshot? Any of the heroes in the ranks… or someone else? Maybe a newer hero, Lemillion? He's making a name for himself and is rather like All Might. Someone in training? Though Imoku has given assurances via Toga that he's already taken care of some of the more dangerous possibilities._

 _Tomura demanded a further explanation and will accompany Toga next week. Apparently he hasn't been watching the news._

-afop-

There were times when Kazue Matsushita thought that she would be remembered for destroying hero society. Then she told herself to be reasonable. She had done one interview with one villain to expose one supposed hero. It was the same as the exposes she did on politicians and the public deserved to know the truth about the people serving them. It wasn't her fault that things had spiraled out of control.

And she was doing her best to help regain any control. She was interviewing the new heroes and today she had quite an old hero… comparatively speaking. The number one Hero Hawks. Hopefully he'd be able to put some perspective on things.

"And we are back in three, two-" The last number was silent and Kazue plastered a smile on her face as the cameras refocused.

Hawks did the same, ruffling his feathers artistically. It was a good shot.

"Today I'm speaking with someone who needs no introduction!" Kazue said happily, gesturing towards the Pro-Hero. "The Number One Pro-Hero in Japan, Hawks!"

He stretched out one wing as he gave a sunny smile.

"So," Kazue said, "your rise to the number one spot has been pretty quick!" It was a nice open statement.

He grinned at her. "It has, and in some ways, I feel a bit cheated."

"Cheated?" She inquired.

"Yes! I always admired Endeavor when I was a child. The Hero Endeavor, not anything else," Hawks clarified quickly raising one finger to forestall objections. "I liked the way he never gave up on being Number One."

"A tough position," Kazue agreed.

"And it's only now that we're really talking about it. Everyone else was just happy All Might was there. They left a lot of things to him. No one was trying to take his place… Except Endeavor. I admired that. I admired the drive, the dedication, the will to do better. It's that which I think makes a Hero."

"An interesting take," Kazue said. "At the moment though the public isn't too happy with the Hero Public Safety Bureau."

Hawks shook his head. There was a soft smile on his features. "I don't know why. Everyone is focusing on the failures, instead of seeing the success. Instead of saying that fifty-percent of those enrolled failed, why don't we say that fifty-percent passed. Interestingly, the assessment has shut up all those people saying that Endeavor's youngest son was just going to follow in his big brother's footsteps. It must have been a big step for Shouto to release that information but I admit it's been effective.

"In general, the assessments have been a good thing, though I do think they are administered early… but since there is the opportunity to be re-assessed, I think it can be dealt with."

"You think it's administered too early?"

"Of course! Are you the same person now, as you were when you where fourteen, or fifteen, or sixteen?" Again Hawks shook his head, ruffling his feathers. "The answer is no. So I think what we are seeing is the assessment picking up those who just aren't quite ready to be Heroes, which given that they are in training, I think that's fair!" He grinned again.

Kazue nodded her agreement. That was a reasonable assessment and she was sure that others would see it that way.

"Besides, this is another way of getting different people into heroics."

"You don't like the schools?"

"Not at all, though, as you know I didn't go to UA. I have nothing against UA, their results speak for themselves but I think the system could be a little more open. Currently it's so closed, and if it was open, then the public could see in a bit more, they can trust more, and the assessments are one way of doing that."

"But how will they open the system and allow different people into heroics?" Kazue asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"Because, with the assessments came a rule change," Hawks said expansively, waving his wings. "If you pass the assessment and can get a traineeship at a registered Hero Agency then you can be a hero too."

"Wow, really?" Kazue's eyes widened. She hadn't seen that part of the rules.

"Really. And it's a good thing. Though I think people do need to be aware of what they are getting into if they go that route. It means that someone who wasn't ready to be a hero when they were younger can apply later and still do it. I think that will make the system a lot more robust, though I don't think there's any trainee registered Agencies yet. I'm sure there will be."

"That is a big change!" Kazue agreed.

"It will be but the Agencies have to embrace it, so we will see. I think in a few years, it will be normal."

"Ah, so people shouldn't start applying just yet."

"Not yet. Until then though, I'm still aiming for a world where heroes can enjoy a bit of boredom," he said happily.

Kazue chuckled. That particular statement was becoming very much associated with the Number One hero but in a good way. It meant that there wouldn't be villains, though she quickly sobered. "You aren't concerned about the calls that say that most villains are actually common criminals, and that we don't need Heroes to deal with them?"

Hawks shook his head. "It is true, and we overlook the great work the police are doing," he said. "But saying that all villains are just petty thieves or common criminals is generalising far too much. It forgets that there are still those out there who are truly worthy of the title villain. The League still exists and we know they are still working towards some sort of goal."

That was true. The news had been full of reports that the League had been seen stealing something highly classified from a Government Building. Everyone was being tight lipped on exactly what had been stolen.

"They are indee-" Kazue stopped at the beeping that was coming from Hawks. She couldn't glare but they had asked him to make sure his phone was off for the interview!

"That's not-" The hero pulled out a small device. It was too small to be a phone but he stared at it intently. "There's been a call for all Heroes in the area," Hawks announced with a smile. "Time for work," he added, flapping his wings and quickly disappearing into the dark that was the rest of the studio.

Kazue looked at the spot he had been sitting. "Well," she smiled at the camera, "that was the Hero Hawks! And you can see, a Hero's work is never done!"

-afop-

 _I took Tomura to the weekly meeting with Toga. We waited in the lounge of the apartment for Toga before Izuku arrived. Toga came in her usual disguise of Imoku's mother. She gave Tomura a nod, knowing he'd be here, and then started making several phone calls._

 _I had forgotten how much Izuku could eat. Toga seemed to be quite used to it. She ordered extra for us. It was nice not to cook._

 _Though we weren't there for dinner. Izuku had news for us. Good news, for once. He knew where Overhaul was._

 _Tomura wasn't that interested until Izuku reminded him that even if the man lacked the means at the moment, he knew how to make Quirk Destroying bullets. There was no reason he couldn't try with a different quick… Something like the Pro-Hero Eraser Head's quirk for example might be able to be mutated into a bullet form._

 _Izuku also reminded Tomura that it was Overhaul who'd given the Quirk Destroying bullet's to the government, and now they knew it was possible. It was now a military thing._

 _It's not that I believed Tomura had forgotten about Overhaul, I believe he just hasn't assigned him an appropriate threat ranking. Imoku had a suggestion for how to deal with the problem. Hit him with one of his own anti-quirk bullets._

 _Tomura liked it. The notion appealed to his twisted sense of humor, though Izuku was quick to encourage Tomura to kill Overhaul after removing his quirk. Quirk removal, after all, does not remove knowledge. I can see the beauty of using his weapons against him. There is a certain amount of irony there. It would be justice. Though killing him seems a waste after removing his quirk, we are unlikely to get the chance to kill him if he has his quirk._

 _Tomura asked about some of the up and coming Heroes, Lemillion especially. Izuku didn't know anything much about that one. The boy had graduated from UA, with a quirk mutation appearing in his last year, granting him incredible strength. He was working for Nighteye Agency, which was only notable as it was run by the only sidekick All Might ever had._

 _That information was enough to garner Tomura's interest. Any link to All Might was enough to get his interest. While the League could take out All Might now, there was little point. The world wouldn't fear a group who had to attack a man who's quirk was gone. We would be seen as weak. Tomura didn't like that, but he accepted it._

 _But Sir Nighteye, and all the heroes of his agency, those were fair game. We could take them out, and Tomura had been looking for something to do recently._

 _Though Imoku hadn't asked for Tomura to be there, just to tell him about Overhaul, or to give what little information he had about other Heroes. His information gathering within the government had been going well. More importantly he was maintaining his position easily. I checked the polls after our visit. For an Independent representative, Imoku was very popular. He had the highest approval rating of any of the Representatives. Sensei had indeed chosen well._

 _Imoku told us there was some sort of big operation within the Hero Public Safety Bureau. It wasn't unusual for there to be a big operation. What made this one special is that it was to deal with us. The League._

 _Tomura was happy about that. Apparently we are big enough that even the Government is against us, not just their Heroic agents. Imoku warned us to be careful. He didn't know what the operation involved and he wasn't even meant to know it existed but that's never stopped a villain. He would tell us more if he could. Even with his happiness, Tomura agreed to be careful._

 _After all, if the League fell to just this, then history would just remember us as another bunch of villains, not those who changed the world._

 _We weren't going to fail._

-afop-

"Ragdoll… Or would you prefer if I call you Tomoko?" The question was soft.

"Tomoko," came the answer. It sounded dejected. "I'm sorry, Representative Kakurete," an apology followed. "I just don't know why you asked to meet with me."

"Please, call me Imoku. Representative Kakurete makes me feel old!" The statement was accompanied by a laugh.

"I still don't know why you asked to meet with me."

Imoku nodded. "I'll be honest, it's because of what happened to you."

"Humph! So you want to meet the freak?" She hissed, but there was no passion to it. Her voice was tired.

"No, why would I think that?" Imoku challenged.

"I'm quirkless."

"Yes," he agreed, nodding. "That doesn't change who you are though, does it?" Imoko questioned. He crossed his hands in front of him. "I'm sure when you became a hero, you envisaged many outcomes. A realistic hero will consider the good outcomes and the bad. Death is obviously one of the bad outcomes. Incapacitation somehow, another but I doubt any Hero would ever have thought about losing their quirk, especially a hero who saved so many people."

She glared at him. It was half hearted as best. "So you did come to look at the freak."

"No, I came to offer you a job," Imoku countered.

The glare took on a confused aspect.

"I came to offer all the Wild Wild Pussycats a job," Imoku added.

"You're lying."

Imoku gave her a hard look. He had allowed a certain amount of casualness in their discussion but there was a limit. He was an elected Representative of the People, that meant he was due some respect.

"I'm sorry, Representative," Tomoko apologised.

"I understand it is unexpected," Imoku waved away the apology graciously. "I'm sure that you are aware that as a group the Pussycats ranking has dropped." That was putting it mildly. The fall in their ranking was comparable to Endeavor's. They had gone from rank 32 to 411. "It was too be expected, and I'm sure your team mates will be able to regain their standing." He told her.

"But I won't."

"But you won't," Imoku agreed. It might be cruel but it was reality. Ragdoll's quirk was gone and Sensei wasn't going to give it back any time soon. "That's why I want to offer you all an alternative, or just to you if the others want to continue."

Tomoko was silent for a few moments. Imoku could tell she was thinking. She sighed heavily. "What is it?" She was obviously expecting it to be some sort of work to help him.

"Even without your quirk you can help people," Imoku told her. "You can save people," he added for good measure. He had a soft smile. It covered the snarl he wanted to express from the similar memory he had of words like this. He wondered if All Might even remembered them?

"I can't do anything! I can't feel them anymore," she objected.

"So you are saying your quirk is the only way you can do your job?" Imoku stated. "I must have a problem in my office then," he continued, "since the only office staff I employ are quirkless. I hate to think of the state of my paperwork if quirks are the only way to get things done!" He mocked.

"It's not the same! I can't feel them anymore," Tomoko repeated. Her eyes flashed. "If I can't feel them, I can't tell the others were they are."

Imoku snorted. "That is true, but you can still save people without a quirk."

"How?" She demanded, disbelief liberally coating her voice.

"By joining the rescue services as a dispatch officer," Imoku told her. "You have skills beyond your quirk and defining yourself only by what your quirk allowed you to do is limiting. I know you can move beyond this. I know you can do better and I want to give you that chance."

"Rescue services?" Tomoko seemed confused.

"The people you've worked alongside in large disasters," Imoku reminded her. Heroes were so quick to forget. Sometimes disasters were so large that Heroes couldn't get everyone. Then Rescue Services did the work. And even more generally, it wasn't like the Police were just waiting for a Hero to arrest someone for them. Heroes forgot there was a whole support structure that did the grunt work that kept them looking good.

"They need dispatchers, and I suspect, with your ability to keep track of things, you'd be one of their best."

"But I can't keep track of things!" Tomoko objected.

"Of course you can," Imoku said. "Your quirk helped but-" he tapped his head, "- you also have to have been smart enough to keep up. So you can do it without your quirk. Maybe it won't be as easy but you can do it. You can still save people."

Her yellow eyes looked at him. Imoku kept his expression encouraging. She blinked at him and he heard her breath exhale. "Just me?"

Imoku understood. "All the Wild Wild Pussycats if you, and they want," he repeated what he had said earlier. It would be a better statement if they all came but if he could even get one, then that would also work.

"I'll ask," Tomoko told him.

Imoku smiled. He had her.

-afop-

 _It's been relatively quiet lately. That is a bad thing. People get slack. People have been slack, which is why once again we are now stuck in a single room. The League's core numbers haven't gone up recently but we have gained more associates. Those who form part of the Action Squad have those they order on behalf of the League._

 _That means that at least we all fit into the room. It's just one of many retreat points we have. Tomura learned enough to set them up in advance. Once we figure out what happened, and know the extent of any compromise, we will move to one of our back up locations._

 _But it brings back unpleasant memories. And we lost the Noumu in our escape. It is the reason we managed to escape but it is still a loss._

 _Tomura is raging. He's doing it silently, but the main thing to figure out is what to do next, and of course, who betrayed us._

 _I suspect it was no one. I suspect it was simple comfort, that too many of us were seen coming and going from the bar. As I said, quiet leads to complacency. I suppose I should be thankful that it means no one betrayed us._

 _And the one thing I can say for sure is that we managed to take the anti-quirk bullet's with us. If that was the point of the raid, then we still have them. That is our victory, even with the loss of the Noumu._

 _I expect any plan to take out Overhaul will be superseded now. We have to strike back, we have to do something to show that the League is still there. It is our obligation and our right as the League. It is expected and I know Tomura is planning it._

 _He has come a long way, just the way Sensei wanted._

 _They've both come a long way._

-afop-

"It's an ambush!" Mirio screamed into his comm, even as he phased. "It's the League," he managed to get out before the device fell off him. He recognised the black warp gate several had emerged from. He sank into the ground as several shots impacted where he had been.

Fire, Mirio recognised. That meant Dabi was there and it probably meant the little girl who had needed help was Himiko Toga. Miro controlled himself and went forward, estimating where the 'girl' might be. All the League had been implicated in many jobs.

Kurogiri was their transport but Himiko was their spy. If he could take out any of the League then it would a good thing.

"We are on our way!" The voice came from his comm, shockingly loud to make sure he heard. There would be no other information given, since the agency knew his comm would no longer be hist. But that gave the Villain's notice that they had a time limit.

Mirio burst from the ground. He'd timed it right and was rewarded with the wide eyes of Himiko. He swung one arm, letting his quirk fade. She saw it and reacted but she was too slow and Mirio's fist hit her temple. Himiko collapsed into a heap.

This was meant to be a routine patrol! That's why he, a side kick, was out on his own. Sir Nighteye knew he could be trusted from his internship. He phased again as another ball of fire lanced through his position. And was that gas?

That changed the priorities. Before he fell back into the ground Mirio looked around. He could see members of the League everywhere, including one covered in hands. Tomura Shigaraki was here! But he couldn't see the Mustard.

Not every Hero had memorised who was in the League and their abilities, but Mirio had a stake in that. With All Might being his mentor, and… More than that. With him carrying on the legacy of One for All, he felt obligated to destroy the organisation One for All had made. All Might had taken out the leader, Mirio now had to take out the rest.

Still phased, he powered up One for All, readying a punch and then he pushed up, emerging from the ground. He smiled as he realised he was on target behind Muscular. He hit the large Villain as hard as he could. Usually he would have held back, or tried with his own strength but he knew how strong this villain was. The man staggered and tried to hit him but Mirio was already gone. One for All was still new to him. He had the strength but he was working on integrating it into his fighting style. It was hard work but it would be worth it. That's why he was with Sir Nighteye's agency still. The man knew All Might and knew how to help.

He heard the call 'Gas Masks', and assumed the League would be donning them. The call though gave him a better location for Mustard and he moved towards it. Practice meant he could hold his breath while phased, but he still needed to breath when he came up and that meant he couldn't have the area covered by gas. He leaped up in front of where he estimated the villain to be, already swinging.

Except… It wasn't Mustard. Mirio felt his eyes widen even as he swung. The other villain obviously knew what he was thinking because he grinned, right before he collapsed. But the damage was done. Mirio took a breath. It was bad. He could taste the gas but he gritted his teeth. It wouldn't be enough to stop him. He grunted with effort as he swung around, not phasing and using the time to properly assess the situation.

The agency would be here soon. He just had to hold on for a it more. Miro saw Dabi. The villain was on the ground and smirking at him. At least Mirio thought it was a smirk. With the facial burns it was hard to tell. Mustard was actually near Toga, putting a mask on her face. Muscular was glaring at him and looking down at him from a balcony was Tomura. Behind him was Kurogiri

It was most of the League. At least, the ones who were powerful. Before he had to take another breath, Mirio phased again. Just in time.

He caught sight of a small warp gate right in front of him and he felt something pass through him before he sank into the ground. He knew where Mustard was now, and even if he couldn't take out that villain he could get one of the masks.

Mirio re-emerged where he knew Mustard would be. The other villain apparently knew that's what he'd do because Mustard tried to put up a defense. It didn't work and he dropped. Mirio was happy about that and grabbed at a mask. He'd have to figure out what went through him later, for now he needed that mask.

The air he breathed through it wasn't fresh. It was hot and tepid but it was clean. That was good!

He glared at the League. They still seemed confident. There was no reason for them not to be but Mirio couldn't help a smile when he heard the noise of the agency arriving.

"More pests," Tomura growled, and Mirio saw the gun in his hands. That explained what had passed through him. They'd tried to shoot him, though this was a new thing for the League. Tomura didn't usually use a weapon. The hand covered villain glared at the newly arrived Heroes.

Mirio stood still as several warp gates opened over those who were unconscious. They passed over their forms before disappearing. Darn it. They really had to take out Kurogiri!

Thankfully the others recognised that. The agency had trained together for years. They knew how to work together. Instead of gas masks, Mirio was amused to see that they all had bubbles over their heads, no doubt giving them fresh air to breath.

What surprised him though was that Sir Nighteye was there. With his quirk he didn't always enter combat, then Mirio knew he was being stupid. The League was here. The same League that had taken out the Eight Precepts of Death and the same League that was terrorising Japan.

Somehow, Mirio could see the smirk adorning Tomura's face, even with the obscuring hands. The man held up something. Mirio didn't know what it was but from the way Sir Nighteye stiffened he did. Wait… obscuring hands… not an obscuring gas mask. There was no gas up there…

He hauled the tepid air into his lungs and phased. The mask clattered to the ground but Mirio didn't hear that, instead he was moving to the building Tomura was in. There was only Kurogiri and the League's leader there. Kurogiri had a fatal weakness. Even the first years… they were now second years had worked that out. And so long as Tomura didn't touch him with all five fingers, then he was just a regular man.

This would be the end of the League.

Mirio leapt from the ground. By his reckoning, he'd be slightly behind the two villains when he emerged. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be doable.

There was a flash of white and a loud noise. The villains didn't wear white! Then as Mirio materialised, something crashed into him. It was Sir! There was red against his back.

"Tch!"

Mirio recognised Shigaraki's voice. "That was the last bullet," he said.

"Get back," Sir Nighteye said, pushing himself free of Mirio's hold.

"What, Sir?"

"Get back," came the order again. It didn't help that Mirio could see the red stain getting bigger. His eyes fixed on it. He could barely see anything else. He couldn't hear anything either. There was a rushing in his ears that was odd given everything else.

"Let's go Kurogiri," Shigaraki said.

"No!" Mirio cried as he realised what had happened. Sir had…

Kurogiri said nothing and Mirio could only watch as the warp gate opened and the two villain's disappeared.

Sir Nighteye stumbled forward. Mirio caught him. "Sir!" He cried. He couldn't do anything as the man fell. "No, please, Sir!"

"I'll be fine," Sir Nighteye said. Mirio didn't believe him, not with the stain that large. He could now hear the others rushing to their position. "You have to watch for the hidden, Mirio," Sir Nighteye said. "You have to watch for the hidden one."

"No Sir!"

The other's burst on to the balcony and Mirio allowed himself to be pushed away as Centipeder started first aid.

God, what had he done?


	9. Part 1: Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 _Tomura was initially angry to learn that we hadn't killed Sir Nighteye. He had been aiming at Lemillion, using my warp gate to ensure the bullet hit close. However, a few hours online made Tomura much happier. The League hadn't killed Sir Nighteye, we'd done something better. We'd removed his quirk. True, we wanted to remove Lemillion's quirk but taking out All Might's sidekick is a good consolation prize. Especially the removal of his quirk._

 _When Sensei removed Ragdoll's quirk, the Hero's kept it quiet. It wasn't that hard with three other members of the team. The public knew something had happened. The Wild Wild Pussycats dropped dramatically in the rankings but that could have been due to simple injury. Thus, there's really only been rumours that quirk removal was possible._

 _The League proved it. And the League was feared for it. Ironic that it is Overhaul's legacy we are credited with. Theoretically removing Lemillion's quirk would have had the same effect. In practice, I think it wouldn't have hit as hard. Sir Nighteye is more known in the industry, has garnered more respect. Lemillion is new and it would possibly been written off as just another loss._

 _The only frustration Tomura had with the affair was how easily some members were defeated. Toga will have to train. As will Mustard. We need some fresh blood because our abilities are too well known. Giran has been quiet lately. He's still shipping supplies but he has to be circumspect. The Hero community isn't stupid. They have to know he's connect to us. Someway._

 _It means though, if we want to take out Overhaul, either they are going to have to be better, or we need more resources. The next Noumu isn't ready yet. They can't be made as fast as they used to be. Tomura is frustrated about that, and with the loss of High-End, even if that was the reason we avoided capture, it means one of our best Noumu's is gone._

 _We still have enough bullets. Tomura hasn't been wasteful with them, despite the missed shot at Lemillion. I think Tomura will save one for Overhaul, though Izuku has requested two. He assures us its for the businesses, not the Government, which means he probably wants to duplicate them. I don't like the idea but I think Tomura does. The concept of being able to get more, especially with the fall out from Sir Nighteye is attractive._

 _Dabi continues to meet with Hawks, who after this last incident appears to be more than eager to change sides. He's given us some information. Nothing very dangerous yet. Tidbits. He knows they are, and he knows we will check their veracity. It will be a devastating blow to lose another Number One Hero, especially since there is no heroic way to spin defection._

 _We need more resources, though Izuku is already giving us everything he can. The businesses Sensei left are profitable and that profit goes to us. But even so, it's a large war, one we have to continue to fight and one where both sides lose. We kill the heroes and they…_

 _Perhaps there is a way to get what we want._

-afop-

 _"I think as a nation, as a world we should be ashamed!"_

Nedzu listened to the speech. It was being given live and while he was not human, he appreciated good oration when he heard it. Imoku Kakurete was a first term Representative but he was a very good speaker. The man rat knew he was going to go far, despite Imoku's status as an independent. Nedzu could tell.

And that worried him.

 _"We have forgotten where we came from. We refuse to look back because we are afraid. And in that fear we are lashing out at those who remind us of that past. How else can you explain an 80% difference in suicide rates, not just in Japan, but globally, between those of us blessed with a quirk, and those who were born normal, without a quirk!"_

There was something…

He'd only met Imoku Kakurete once. The man had been affable, pleasant, even when giving the news of the new assessments. He had been genuinely caring, just as he was now.

 _"Eighty percent more!"_ Kakurete was reinforcing his point. _"Do we think we can just ignore it, that it will go away? Of course not! We forget, that not so very long ago, we were all quirkless. We don't like to hear it, we don't like to know it and we ignore that 20% of the population born today is not blessed with a quirk. Instead we persecute these people. We bully and belittle them._

 _"We try to pretend they don't exist."_ Imoku paused at that announcement.

Nedzu nodded slightly. This was a political speech given at a press conference and like all political speeches there would be fact checking done on it available to the public. UA's Principal already knew Kakurete's facts would be true. The politician was one of those who preferred to rely on truth rather than easily disproved lies. Such an earnest politician should be celebrated but perhaps that was the problem…

 _"Japan has a long history of ignoring what it does not like! Have we already forgotten our shame? Have we forgotten how insular we were? How we called those of mixed race not Japanese? We made a mockery of ourselves then. We forgot that there is no mixed race, there is only one race on this planet, human! But we were content to draw shallow definitions. We were content to push the issue aside, ignoring the pain it caused. Are we once again content that if it is not public, if it does not affect us, there is no shame? That forgets that an absence of shame is not the presence of honour! It forgets that ignorance, that deliberate dismissal is the very definition of dishonour!"_

"Shouta," Nedzu said to the other in his office. "What do you think?"

Class 2-A's Homeroom teacher looked at the TV, his eyes focused on the politician who was speaking. "He makes a good speech."

Nedzu knew he shouldn't have expected much more. He gave the imitation of a smile. "He does," the Principal agreed. Aizawa couldn't keep up with his intellect but he was smart enough not to make himself appear dumb. "You've never thought about him?"

 _"Those who are quirkless, we consider beneath us. We don't notice when they disappear. We just look away. But we know where they are going. We've always known, we just choose not to know. We choose to look away as those who are quirkless are pushed to the edges of society. Are bullied, belittled, and discriminated against. We feel as if we do nothing wrong when they are turned away. We feel as if we can because they are somehow lesser!"_

"Not really," Shouta replied.

Nedzu looked at the Pro-hero. "Perhaps you should," he suggested.

On the screen he could see the way several reporters were looking down at their phones. No doubt they were already checking Imoku's words. From the distasteful expressions the Principal could see, the reporters weren't liking what they found but since they hadn't interrupted, the rat-man already knew the reporters hadn't caught Kakurete in a lie.

 _"Those we deem quirkless, and even those with quirks deemed useless, gather in our slums and our ghettos. They have no other choice. Why? Are they less human? No! It is proof that our society has become skewed. Too often to we blindly worship those with strong quirks, and ignore others. Too often do we focus on that one aspect, the quirk, ignoring the man beneath."_

The politician didn't name anyone but Nedzu was confident that even the most dense would understand the reference to Endeavor. Aizawa must have thought so too as he glared at the screen. Endeavor was still causing Heroes problems, even after the Hero Public Safety Bureau delisted him. The court cases were dragging on. Not as sensational as they had been but a constant grind, a constant mark against the work heroes were doing.

 _"We have forgotten compassion, and I will change that! As an elected representative of the people,_ all _people, I am going to instigate a policy in my offices to try to counteract the injustices being done, to try to bring some balance back to the world. Where there are two applicants for a job, both equally qualified, no more will I allow discrimination against one who is quirkless. I will hire only quirkless people because I know that they are people too and I will treat them as the humans, with dignity and compassion that they have the right to!"_

"Perhaps I should," Shouta agreed, as Imoku opened the floor to questions.

There was a barrage of noise as all the reporters cried out for attention. Imoku picked one and the others silenced. _"Is that for your political offices or your business interests?"_

Nedzu nodded at the question. It was a very good one. Imoku Kakurete had come to the public's attention as a director of quite a few businesses. The type of business that just ran and didn't cause problems. Very quickly though he'd moved into politics.

 _"As far as I can, all of my offices,"_ Imoku replied with a smile. _"There are a few positions in my various companies that benefit from specific quirks, so those will still be hired out. I view the quirk then as part of the qualification for the job unfortunately, but most jobs do not require the use of quirks, and I believe we have forgotten that in society's almost single-minded focus on them."_

UA's Principal saw the way Aizawa's eyes narrowed. The lower part of the pro-hero's face was covered in his capture weapon but the gesture meant he'd probably resisted the urge to snort.

On screen Imoku gestured for another question.

 _"Is this part of any new legislation you want to get through?"_

Another pointed question. Nedzu could see the way Shouta was becoming interested but the underground hero wasn't known for his optimism. If something, or someone, looked to good to be true, then it usually was. Aizawa had made his hero career looking into such things.

Imoku gave a pleased smile at the question. _"Actually, it is,"_ he said firmly. _"I haven't quite got it written yet, because there have been more immediate issues, but I do want to introduce legislation to the Parliament that will make it illegal to discriminate against anyone on the basis of their quirk. We seem to have forgotten that quirk or not, humans are humans, and we all have the same basic rights. I find it sad that such a thing might need to be legislated but if that's what it takes, then that is what I will fight for."_

"He's good," Aizawa murmured.

Even with his intellect it took a moment for Nedzu to realise what Shouta meant. Imoku Kakurete's words were good, but so was his acting. Inwardly Nedzu was pleased. If the underground pro-hero was thinking that, he'd go the extra in investigating, and the Principal felt that to learn anything of note about Kakurete, it was going to require a Plus Ultra attitude.

-afop-

 _The facility where they are holding the Noumus thankfully isn't Tartarus. But it isn't going to be easy to break into either. Dabi asked Hawks to confirm which Noumus were incarcerated. I think he was pleased to learn that his Noumu is still alive. As is the original Noumu created to kill All Might at the USJ. That news pleased Tomura._

 _I managed to remind him that we shouldn't retrieve any Noumu that wasn't conditioned to obey one of us. Sensei did have a few that obeyed only him. Tomura listened but dismissed my concerns. Those Noumu captured have been those who obey him. He is not concerned. I just hope there aren't any extras._

 _My reasoning is convoluted but perhaps I am reading too much into the circumstance. I am not convinced that Hawks truly wishes to defect. If he truly did wish to defect, he could simply go on a rampage and join us. That would send an appropriate message. He has not. Instead he remains the Number One Hero. It is good to give us information but thus far he has yet to give us anything truly useful._

 _Confirming the Noumus is useful but can be a double edged sword. He has confirmed the Noumus we know about. There may be others. I do not believe Dabi has asked, thus if we go, and find there are others, it could be we who are attacked by them. Maybe it is a pointless worry but I do not like the game Tomura is playing with the Hero. There is too much that can go wrong._

 _It is not an election year, but Imoku is giving speeches as if it is. The public is listening. That's a good thing for us. I think Tomura actually cackled when he saw the opinion polls. As a villain he doesn't have to pay attention to them, there is, after all, no ranking for villains but he does understand that Imoku needs them to be positive._

 _Toga looked happy as well. She seems to enjoy her weekly visit to Imoku and I assume she is proud of him. It is rather odd. She is as vicious as always, and quick with her knives but she does have a soft spot for Imoku. It is good. It means her act as his mother will be better._

 _One thing has bothered me recently though, even with Imoku's success. He has gotten in contact with his real mother. The woman doesn't know it but Imoku is using his own missing person's case. He is very eloquent about it but I was still surprised to see her standing there. He pointed out the differences in the way his case was treated, compared to another and was genuinely solicitous in his dealings with his mother. I think Toga was jealous when she saw the footage but she doesn't know the truth._

 _I will find time to question Imoku myself. I think on this, Tomura would overreact, and…_

 _Imoku… Izuku knows, there is no turning back._

-afop-

"Kurogiri!"

The warp villain was pleased to hear the different tones in the greeting. There was surprise but also pleasure. It was reassuring given that he was dropping in unannounced.

"You are alone?"

Imoku nodded, not offended at the question. It was for his protection as well. "And here is secure," he told the bartender with a smile. Here happened to be quite a nicely appointed lounge room. There were two plush couches separated by a coffee table. A sideboard was against one wall, decorated with various knick knacks, that looked as if they'd been collected over a lifetime. "What brings you here?"

Kurogiri drew his essence in close, resuming his human form. It required a bit of concentration. He preferred to spread out but Imoku was not an enemy. "I think you know."

For a moment Imoku looked confused, but then he nodded. He didn't reply. Instead he rose from the couch he had been sitting on and went to the side board that was in the room. Kurogiri watched as Imoku pulled out two sniffers and a large bottle of whisky. He was pleasantly surprised to see that it was his favourite.

"You remembered?"

"I remembered," Imoku replied, bringing the glasses and alcohol to the couch. He put them on the table and again left, disappearing briefly. When he returned he had a small bowl of ice, tongs delicately balanced on the top and a jug of water.

The bartender watched as Imoku prepared his drink. The boy really had remembered, Kurogiri thought as he accepted a glass.

"I take it you disapprove," Imoku said after they'd both taken a sip.

Kurogiri sighed. "It is not my place to approve," he said diplomatically.

"But you do. What did Tomura say?" Imoku asked.

The warp villain shook his head. "He doesn't know."

Imoku snorted at that and gave Kurogiri an odd smile. "It has its dangers," the man admitted and while Imoku was at least 40 now, thanks to Sensei's quirk, Kurogiri saw again the fourteen year old he had been. "I can't say that I have never missed her," he added.

Kurogiri remained silent. He was thankful that Izuku was telling him the truth. And he knew from the way the boy was sitting that he was speaking with Izuku, not Imoku. He was sure that after Sensei's training Izuku could lie with the best of them but this was a hurt Izuku. This was the child the League had taken in and Kurogiri would listen.

"I do miss her, and I regret her pain," Izuku said, swallowing hard. "But-" With that single word his voice was hard. "I will make sure she is the last."

He wasn't sure what Izuku meant with that.

Izuku saw his confusion. As always the boy could read him. "Or at least, that's what I'd say if I was giving a speech. I know she won't be the last hurt this way, but maybe this way I can make her pain mean something, maybe I can give her something to live for."

Kurogiri nodded.

"And nothing I've said is a lie."

"Really?"

"Really," Izuku confirmed. "Sensei taught me that the greatest pain lies with the truth. That's what make it so sad. The police spent two days on my case. Two days and then they moved on. No leads, they said. Not worth pursuing. That makes me angry."

"You know it is true," the bartender felt obliged to point out. With Sensei involved, there never was going to be any leads.

"That doesn't make it right," Izuku was unexpectedly fierce.

"No, it doesn't."

"There was another case after mine," Izuku continued, ignoring his response. "A boy I once knew. He disappeared under similar circumstances."

Kurogiri felt a wave of apprehension at the words. Thinking back… which wasn't really that far back, he suspected he knew who Izuku was talking about. A couple of the League's associates had been questioned, which simply told the warp villain that someone in the winged boy's family had been involved with something very bad. He'd stopped thinking about it after that.

"The Police spent weeks on the case. There were no leads but somehow it was worth pursuing. The only difference in the case is that he had a quirk. Why did they give her neither hope, nor closure?"

The warp villain didn't say anything. There was nothing to say. Some might say they were sorry but what did he have to be sorry about? Nothing. This was society's failing. This was what they were trying to prevent.

"That's why the system has to change," Kurogiri eventually reminded Izuku.

"That's why the system has to change," he agreed. "And making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of a quirk is just one way I will change the system."

"And the others?" The bartender asked, referring to the removal of Heroes. That was their true goal.

"Baby steps Kurogiri. Baby steps," Izuku told him with a grin. "Once the world accepts that the quirkless are people too, it makes it easier to have them accept that the majority of villains aren't really villains. Besides, the Government is about to announce compulsory yearly assessment of active heroes, and they actually took it a step further, without my prompting," he added with a laugh.

"What have they done?" Kurogiri was intrigued both at the news and Izuku's mention of prompting.

"They are extending the assessment to immediate family."

Kurogiri was silent. Then he started thinking about the implications. They were huge. "What happens if someone fails?"

Izuku shrugged, making the transition to Imoku again. "Depends on how badly. Some heroes are already undergoing counselling, so they'll get off easier, since they are already taking steps to address the problem." Imoku didn't seem impressed with that but Kurogiri knew the Government couldn't be too harsh. They couldn't afford to lose any heroes at the moment. "It gets more complicated with the family. Though the idea to extend the assessments to the family came about after the court ordered assessments for all of Endeavor's family." Imoku grinned. "Forced, wrongful, long term incarceration of his wife has not done the poor dear any favours and his eldest children…" Imoku chuckled.

"But his youngest," Kurogiri reminded him. Endeavor's youngest was still enrolled in UA's hero course. His results, or at least an edited version had been released to the public to prove that despite everything little Shouto did want to be a hero for the right reasons.

"The foundation will crumble," Imoku shrugged. Shouto was just one more up and coming hero, nothing more.

"I imagine it will," Kurogiri agreed. He'd seen what that type of abuse did. It festered until it could be held back no longer.

They sat together in comfortable silence. Kurogiri let himself have the opportunity to enjoy his whiskey. There was so little time these days for just relaxing.

"I do have something for you this week," Imoku broke the silence eventually. "Tomura asked for it a while back so I was waiting to see Himiko but if you are here, I might as well tell you now. It's not that time sensitive."

The bartender tilted his head in askance.

Imoku put his glass on the table before he rose and disappeared. When he returned he was holding a sheaf of paper. He held it out for Kurogiri to take.

"You won't be surprised," the politician told him. "I'm sure you are suspicious already."

Kurogiri wanted to read the documents now but he knew it was best to wait. With Imoku's hints, he could only imagine how bad it might be for them. This did not bode well, and Kurogiri wasn't buoyed when a sharp grin spread to Imoku's features.

The laugh was pure evil. "I usually don't mind putting Tomura straight," Imoku said.

The warp villain's mind flashed through all the times Izuku and Tomura had had private talks, or where Izuku had explained something to Tomura… He tried not to gulp.

"I'm actually glad I don't have to tell him this."

Kurogiri suppressed a shiver. He really didn't like the sound of that.

-afop-

 _There are several things happening in the world that the League has largely ignored. Not because they are not important to us. They are. But because there are so many other things to do._

 _I am thankful that I read the information Izuku gave me when I saw him before I gave it to Tomura. Most of the documents were on official letterhead. They were the outlines of a plan. By itself it was bad. The Hero Public Safety Bureau planned to infiltrate the League. It was a surprisingly bold plan for them. But a plan is just a plan. It was the other documents that were truly dangerous. There were several corroborating documents containing texts and other information which confirmed that the plan was going ahead._

 _Again, that didn't surprise me. The League was now leading most of the underworld. The organised part anyway. There were a few Yakuza families who kept to themselves and there was always random thugs who thought they could make a quick buck or a name for themselves with their quirk. But the League was where most wanted to be. The original members were enjoying the notoriety but they were learning that it also took work._

 _So the fact that there was a plan from the HPSB didn't surprise me. What surprised me was the hero chosen to implement that plan._

 _Hawks._

 _The number one Hero. Though, looking at the documents, at the time the plan was proposed, he was only the Number 2, and it seemed as if Endeavor would cement his position in number one by sheer dint of solved cases, if nothing else._

 _To say Tomura was livid would be an understatement. Dabi was similarly angry. They were both ready to go out immediately and attack the hero. Thankfully it was daylight, and we have not yet properly settled from the last move. Tomura calmed but there is hatred burning in his eyes at the thought. He lashed out at the fire villain a bit too. It is Dabi who has been leading the way in getting Hawks onboard._

 _Dabi took some damage. Not a lot. He's more careful than that, but I think he's also aware that taking some damage was the best way to avoid taking more, in the long run._

 _He probably got away with so light a punishment because of the third set of documents in the folder. Izuku has always been interested in quirks. He had supplied an outline of Hawks', complete with official information, and notes on where he believed the information to be deliberately lacking. On the last page of handwritten notes, there was a battle plan, designed to take Hawks out. It required Dabi and several Noumu._

 _I have no idea how Izuku knew we'd be going after the imprisoned Noumu. It's possible he didn't know and his plan was his suggestion that we do. That would be a wise thing to do, actually. It would have given Tomura a subtle nudge in that direction while allowing him to behave as if he'd thought of the plan himself. He might still do that. I know the plan came from Izuku but the others don't and Tomura knows I will not contradict him._

 _In public. Which includes in front of the League._

 _Leadership rests on such fragile trust, after all._

 _It has cemented our plan to go after the Noumu. Tomura is planning it properly now. It has evolved from the 'break in and get them' into something approaching workable._

 _But that is our plans. It ignores the efforts of Izuku. I believe many of his plans are coming to fruition as well. Not everything but I can see the foundation._

 _The Government has implemented assessments on all Heroes. They are to be yearly but if a big event happens, then they are to be conducted in the aftermath, after a suitable healing time, of course. So far, no one has been tested. The HPSB is still setting up the schedule but it will be soon._

 _Knowing what I do of heroes, it will be amusing. They probably won't make the failures public but they will have to do something. That's one advantage villains have over the Government and Heroes. They have to play by the rules. We don't._

 _And when you have someone making the rules for you… Well, that changes the playing field in a whole new way. I don't think the heroes have noticed. I doubt anyone in the government notices either._

 _Why would they think about a first term representative hustling them? Especially when he gives them such good policies. Because Izuku's policies are popular, with the people. Until now the heroes have comforted themselves that those who have been failing the assessments were not suitable for life as a hero. They have been blind and short sighted but the public was supportive. That's what the Government saw. They saw the public approval at their care for the yet to be heroes. The Government saw the public approval for ensuring the mental health of future heroes. There is some petty acceptance there, I'm sure, from those with quirks too weak to be heroes and stupid dreams. They will be assured that they could have passed. They will be assured that it is a good thing._

 _The Government now sees public approval for ensuring the ongoing mental health of those who are heroes. They see the upturn from their electorates._

 _They fail to see the long term. They fail to see that sometimes for the benefit of all, one must be cruel. They fail to see how the heroes will fall, how in a few years time, even if nothing else is done, there will not be enough Heroes. I'm sure some see the problem. Others are focused on their opinion polls._

 _It's the little things that give a villain strength. I never thought I'd be thankful that we don't have opinion polls. For us things are much simpler. Either you succeed or you die._

 _We aren't dead yet. And that's all the assessment we will ever need._

 **-afop-**

Political speeches are hard!


	10. Things Kurogiri Doesn't Know 1

Kurogiri is good, but there are things he doesn't know or simply doesn't care about. The villain knew Endeavor fell from grace, he never considered the impact on Endeavor's family. This is Shouto Todoroki's story.

(Or basically an intermission from Shouto's POV)

-afop-

 **Things Kurogiri Doesn't Know: Shouto Todoroki**

Shouto Todoroki was described by most as being restrained. It was not that he did not feel emotion, he did, but he had learned from a young age never to display undue excitement or anger, or disappointment, or regret or anything. He had learned to comply with what his father wanted, and learned that complaints only meant more training.

He'd also learned to never question about his mother or his siblings. It was easier about his mother. For a long time, all he remembered was pain when he thought of her. As he grew older, and as he continued the never ending training his father put him through, he began to understand that his mother had been in pain too. He wanted to lash out at anything. He couldn't. If he lashed out at school his Father would hear and would punish him.

If he lashed out… when? Every moment of every day was accounted for.

As he grew older, he also realised that his siblings were trying to help. Fuyumi left him small treats in the kitchen. Natsuo left him the latest hero magazines on his bed. Touya… he was the hardest of all. He tried to fight Father.

Until one day when he was just not there.

Shouto missed the days before he got his quirk. He vaguely remembered playing with his siblings with their mother smiling at them. The memory faded as he grew older but it was soft and full of perfect sunshine.

But he learned that pining for the past did nothing. He learned to look forward. He figured out how to fight back. He learned exactly where father drew the line and was adept at going all the way to that line.

Sometimes he went beyond it. Then, if he was lucky, he sported a new bruise but sometimes it was burns. Never on his face. No, his mother had done that and Endeavor could not afford to do something that crude. It was always on his arms, or torso, where the burn could be a part of training. Endeavor made sure to tell all his teachers that he was in training to be a hero and that a few bruises were normal when learning combat.

Since Father was the Number Two hero the teachers accepted the words. Of course they did. Why would they believe him? They'd never believed his siblings.

Shouto learned to cope. In that way only using his ice was a benefit. Burns and bruises both responded to ice.

Nothing changed when he got into UA… though got into suggested there might be some doubt about his place. There was none, not with him getting on recommendation. The day was interesting for the others there, but Shouto didn't expect much. The only difference was his father didn't bother to tell the teacher that he was in training to be a hero.

They were all in training.

Aizawa, prohero Eraser Head did not have the flashiest quirk but he was strong. Endeavor nodded when Shouto told him which home room teacher he had. Shouto thought his father was thankful it wasn't All Might. He looked up Aizawa but couldn't find much information about him. He was an underground hero, and as such did not seek rank or the media. But one thing Shouto could find out, because his father was Endeavor, was the mission clearance rate Aizawa had. It was high, even with him teaching. He was a hero who had not let his skills lapse.

He wasn't actually sure what to do or what to think when the villains attacked the USJ. He acted. He fought but he didn't know it if was the right thing to do. His father praised him, asking how many he'd taken down. The school berated them but admitted that they had no choice.

With the Sport's Festival, Endeavor was relentless. He pushed, and he pushed, which just made Shouto pull back more. His classmates had noticed but they didn't know what to do. They left him alone. That suited him. Until the final round. Bakugo was loud, crass, and arrogant but he was also skilled, strong and practiced.

The loss had consequences. Training with his father left him bruised and burned but he refused to use the bastard's quirk. He would not use fire! Not through work experience. Not through their training with the PussyCats, not with Kamino. Not for anything.

He didn't associate fire with anything good until…

It was an odd day. He was in school as usual but then there was an explosion on the phones in the class. Aizawa looked furious but then _his_ phone also went off. It was only when Momo gasped did their teacher look at his phone. His eyes widened, and he rushed out.

"Todoroki," Momo told him, holding out her phone.

All he saw was a headline saying Endeavor and then it scrolled to say…

No! It couldn't say that name. Touya.

Shouto blinked at the screen stupidly before he pulled out his own phone. There was a news feed blinking urgently at him. His phone was on silent otherwise it would have been screaming at him. He taped the story and was taken to a video of an interview. There were tags all over it saying it was live.

He didn't… what kind of brother was he? He didn't recognise Touya. There was a bit of familiarity around his eyes and… He'd seen Touya before. At the training camp. Touya had been there. He had been a villain.

The interview made it clear he was still a villain.

Shouto became aware of the class staring at him. He didn't know what to say. So he did what he had always done. He stood up, packed his books, and left. No one tried to stop him.

It was only after he'd left the class room did he wonder what this meant. Then Fuyumi called him. Her voice was shaking. She simply said that she thought he should come home.

He did, and found both his siblings there. They were trembling. Shouto got to watch the entire interview that night. He wasn't sure what to do. Everything Touya said was true. They all had burns.

Fuyumi cried. Natsuo tried to comfort her, but no one asked any questions. Shouto wondered but he didn't know the answer. What did they do now?

Touya was correct. He'd opened the door. It was obvious because Endeavor didn't return that night. But what did they do? He didn't know and Shouto realised he didn't like that feeling.

He went to school the next day, not knowing what else to do.

Aizawa called him out. The school wanted to know the truth of Touya's accusations. And they weren't going to ask Endeavor. HoundDog was called and a legal representative. Shouto didn't know what to say but they let Aizawa ask the questions. His homeroom teacher was an odd mix of direct and compassionate, though that compassion was hidden behind a gruff layer of supposed indifference.

"Shouto," Aizawa asked, and he could hear how tired the pro-hero was. "There's really only one question. Is it true?"

That singular question rolled through his mind. Is it true? Is what true?

He didn't want to speak. There were so many answers to that. "Is which bit true?" He returned the question.

Aizawa nodded. He recognised that the first question was too generic. "Was that your brother?" he changed his question. Shouto was thankful he hadn't asked about Endeavor. He could answer this one honestly.

"I'm not sure. Touya… my eldest brother left when I was six." He didn't remember much. Touya was simply there one day and gone the next. "You'd have to ask Fuyumi," Shouto added in an attempt to be helpful.

"You spent the night at home," Aizawa pointed out. "Did Fuyumi say anything then?"

He looked to the side. No one said much of anything. "She didn't say it wasn't," he tried to clarify.

"Shouto," HoundDog grumbled. "We are here to help you, but to help you, we have to know what happened."

He nodded. He knew that was true but… no one had ever helped before. Endeavor was…

"I don't care who Endeavor is," Aizawa seemed to read his mind, his eyes glowed red. There were so many extra meanings in that sentence.

Shouto nodded but braced himself. If they couldn't ask about Touya, then they'd ask about him. And he wasn't sure he could handle that.

Something must have shown on his face.

"I don't care who Endeavor is," Aizawa repeated. "I care about you," he added.

Shouto wasn't sure what to think about that.

"It's on public record that your father has been training you to be a hero. He's stated that several times, to several people," Aizawa continued.

He nodded. Endeavor liked to tell his teachers that.

"However there is a difference between training and abuse," his homeroom teacher stated fiercely.

HoundDog gave him a look. "No one is blaming you Shouto," UA's counsellor said. "You have done nothing wrong. We are trying to find out if the Villain Dabi was just lying."

It was absurd. He felt thankful to the dog-like hero for giving him an out. He could just say he knew nothing.

But what type of hero would be be if he couldn't face the truth? If he… What type of hero was he because he couldn't even protect himself?

Aizawa was uncanny in his ability to read him. "There is a difference between training and actual hero work. That's why you are at UA training here, and yes, you have been injured here, but that's so you don't get injured in the field. But there is a difference between training, and abuse."

Objectively Shouto knew that. But… emotionally. No, there was no difference.

"Was the Villain Dabi lying?"

Aizawa left the question hanging.

"I don't know what happened with him, or Fuyumi or Natsuo," Shouto said.

"Of course, you weren't born," Aizawa's face had a small smile on it.

Shouto appreciated the lame joke more than he'd care to say.

"He didn't do anything until my quirk came. I was with Fuyumi when it did. I had been drawing and set the paper on fire. She put it out. But then later that day, I froze my drink."

There were nods from everyone. They knew what that meant. Quirks were often difficult to control when they first came out.

"I didn't know why Fuyumi looked scared then." He remembered her expression. She'd looked at him with the softest, yet deepest pity. He hadn't understood.

His mother had been happy. Shouto knew now that she had believed that Endeavor would calm down, would change, now that he had his precious child with both quirks.

Except he didn't.

If anything Endeavor became more driven.

Nothing was ever good enough. He no longer had time to play. He never saw his siblings. All he could do was train, and train and train… and study. That was acceptable. But his bones ached. His muscles ached. He felt hot and cold at the same time. He just ached. It took him a while to learn it was quirk exhaustion.

It was his constant companion. The ache and the feeling of tiredness, though Endeavor was careful to ensure that there weren't too many physical symptoms.

It was early on, when Touya disappeared. And then his mother, though he understood that far more than his eldest brother.

Then his life became nothing but pain.

"You learned?" Aizawa asked carefully.

Shouto bit the inside of his lip. He didn't want to answer that but knew he had to. "Yes." He was not proud of how quiet his voice was. Endeavor would yell. "Father began training me," Shouto said. "Physical training mostly but I had to keep my grades up. He got in tutors if I needed them, though once Fuyumi was qualified, she could help me." It was the only time he got to see his sister.

"Your scar?" His home room teacher prompted.

That was on record. Endeavor had ensured that because it meant he could get rid of his wife. "I reminded her too much of him," Shouto whispered.

The physical pain had hurt, but that had healed. The pain of separation hadn't. At first he hadn't understood but over time he had… And he forgave her. Yet, he couldn't tell her that. There was no opportunity. There was never any opportunity to be himself.

"But she was suffering herself," he defended his mother. She had gone through it all.

Aizawa gave him a flat look before nodding.

"Shouto, you know there is a difference between training and abuse. Did your father ever hurt you?" he asked pointedly.

"He wanted to make sure I was ready."

"Did your father ever hurt you?" Aizawa repeated his question.

"They were just traini-"

"Did your father ever hurt you?" Aizawa was relentless.

"He didn-" Shouto never completed the sentence. His homeroom teacher's eyes were red and glaring at him.

"Yes." The admission hurt. It burned in his chest but… it was freeing. He felt nauseous with relief.

Aizawa drew a heavy breath and shared a glance with HoundDog. UA's counselor shook his head. There was a moment when Aizawa didn't look pleased but his features cleared quickly. "One last question," he said. "Did Dabi lie about anything?"

Shouto shook his head. "I don't think so."

Aizawa didn't look surprised at that. He grimaced but it was not the grimace of someone dealing with information they didn't already know. It was the grimace of someone who already knew the answer and know the problems it would cause.

"You can go," he said.

"What happens now?" Shouto asked.

"That depends on a lot of things," Aizawa told him. "You are one of those things," he added. "You, your siblings and your mother will have to decide what to do."

He nodded but he hadn't really understood then,

Natsuo explained it later. He had looked up the rules, had looked up what was possible, though Touya's interview was enough to case Endeavor problems. It caused them all problems. There were those who screamed that all of Endeavor's children were villains.

The HPSB came to see him over that, when they extended the Heroes Must Be Heroes psyche assessment. They wanted to publish his results. There was never any mention that he would not pass. Shouto appreciated that.

There were also those who thought that Endeavor should just be forgiven. The man had done much for society. He cleared the most missions of any hero, except for All Might. All Might cleared the same and was far more popular with the public than him. There was no competition between the two. Endeavor might think there was but All Might had won it years ago.

That's why he existed. Shouto knew that.

But Endeavor no longer seemed to care. He was busy all the time. He had been busy since taking over the Number One position but this was different.

Natsuo had initiated court action. That was all that consumed Endeavor. He cut his first and second sons out of his will. He did everything he could but Natsuo had the support of many. Dabi… Touya had, as he said, opened the door.

He hadn't just opened it a crack. He'd kicked it opened and burned it down. The fire had caught on the rest of the house.

And Endeavor, for all his control, could not stop it.

Shouto watched. He wasn't sure what to feel. It was confusing for him. At times he felt so much, at others, there was nothing. He passed the assessment. He was almost surprised. His father had said he would be a hero from the time his quirk emerged, he had never really thought about it much, but taking the assessment helped. It clarified things for me.

Somewhere along the line, Shouto had decided he wanted to be a hero. The assessment confirmed it, though both Natsuo and Fuyumi had told him they wouldn't think anything less of him if he failed. He understood their reasoning. He'd never been a choice. No one who knew that would blame him.

But he wasn't stupid. He knew Japan was comforted with the knowledge that he'd passed. They weren't comforted with the rest of the results. So many failed. There wasn't time to contemplate that. Time continued. Endeavor's court cases finally came to an end.

Enji avoided jail but his Hero license was revoked and he had to pay a very large sum to Natsuo, Fuyumi, his wife and himself.

Shouto had agreed with Natsuo and Fuyumi that after everything was done, they would set up a place for their mother to live. They bought her a house. She contributed, and was happy. He visited her. The first time was trying. He didn't cry. He didn't know how to cry but she did. Yet it was a healing visit. It was good for them both. They had pain they had to work thought but it was a beginning. He made time to visit her, and the relationship grew.

The court even ordered a token amount put aside for Touya, but since he was an acknowledged villain, any victims could claim against his known assets. The money didn't last for long. Touya made no attempt to claim it. But for Shouto, the amount was enough that with management, he'd never have to work. But he wanted to.

He wanted to make sure that no one else had to go through it. He wanted to save people like his mother, who had suffered so much in silence. He wanted to help… to show the world that he was not his father.

It was a nice thought, in a world that was getting harder.

Shouto held on to it. It was all he could do.


	11. Part 1: Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Shouta Aizawa stared at the screen. If anyone had seen him, and knew him, they would have thought he was trying to activate his quirk through the screen, or they would have been confused by his choice of viewing.

Before him, scattered in seemingly haphazard piles were papers. It was if the contents of a cork board had been vomited over the table. All that was missing was the red string.

The screen displayed a single man. He was standing before a podium and was well dressed. He had short green curls, bright green eyes and an easy smile. There were various things being projected behind him but the man was a skilled enough orator that he didn't turn.

Aizawa, having been a teacher for a few years, appreciated that. He listened to to the man for the few moments it took to understand the projection.

 _"-are not actually evil! They are just people who are desperate. A man who lost his job and wants to feed his kids. A woman who just wanted to protect her child. I can name countless examples. You've probably seen them yourselves! But it is the words and that language that we use which makes them all seem worse._

 _"Villain."_ The man said the single word with an impressive degree of emotion, stretching it out to make it all the more sinister.

 _"The majority of those we call villains are not. They are simply people. Performing criminal acts, I admit but they are people."_

Aizawa resisted the urge to snort. The politician had some point but was glossing over those who were truly evil. But then that's what politicians did.

He looked down at the papers, but he already knew what they said.

Name: Imoku Kakurete  
Birthdate: 17/07/2XXX

Quirk: Spark. Shouta had only been able to find some grainy footage, supposedly from Imoku's teenage years showing a shower of colourful sparks attributed to the man's quirk. He was not one of those people who had to show off their quirk.

Relatives: Mother Mikata Kakurete, Father Souzo Kakurete (deceased)

It was all very normal. The details were public record given Imoku's position as a member of the House of Representatives. He had dinner with his Mother once a week and visited the family grave once a year.

He turned back to the screen. There was another graph behind the politician. It was a bar chart. There were several which towered over the others.

 _"In the majority of the cases with what we like to call villains, the damage from their crimes was actually exacerbated by the so called hero who apprehended them!"_

Aizawa didn't react, though he could hear the timbre of Imoku's voice. The man was a born orator… and several examples came to mind rather readily at Imoku's pronouncement. The problem was if he could think of them, then the public could think of them. It had nothing to do with insider hero knowledge, it was just knowledge.

 _"Relatively simple robberies have descended into hostage situations when heroes have intervened. An easy arrest costs thousands in property damage in the ensuing fight. There are better ways. There are more compassionate ways, and as a society, we have to embrace them!"_

Shouta supposed he should be thankful Imoku wasn't mentioning the worst cases he knew about… those where the situation had actually caused deaths. They happened. A bit more frequently than he liked but for whatever reason the politician wasn't mentioning them.

The Pro-hero looked back to his paperwork. He hadn't become one of the best underground heroes by relying on mere paper. In investigations he never accepted anything unless he had confirmed it himself. The paperwork was immaculate. As it should be but it was when he looked at the actions that things were odd…

As an elected official Imoku's schedule was public, so Shouta had followed his mother. Or at least attempted to. It wasn't that the woman was slippery, it was like she didn't exist. There were pictures of her with her son on the campaign trail. Only a few but none of her neighbours had anything to say about her.

"She's quiet and keeps to herself," was the summary answer he'd gotten to all of his questions.

Yet there was a bank account in the woman's name. Even as a Pro-Hero Shouta couldn't find out the balance or any transaction details (not just on his suspicion) but he knew, from observations that she only ate out once a week, when her son was there. No home cooked meals for Imoku. Instead, a truly prodigious amount of food arrived for them to eat. And an examination of the apartment building's rubbish indicated that all the food was consumed that night. He'd been very careful in noting who ordered what, and when the containers appeared in the garbage. That meant either Imoku, or his mother, were using their quirks, and quite frequently at that. There were specific meal plans available for those who had high output quirks.

Except… There was no good footage of Spark and Mikata Kakurete's quirk was listed as being "Rainbow". She could make some small light shows, illusions if she desired. It didn't seem like it would be high energy and there was no evidence that they were inviting others to dinner when Imoku visited.

The food, and where it went, was just another clue to a puzzle that would eventually make sense. Once he had all the pieces. Shouta looked back at the screen. Imoku was shaking his head with every appearance of it being regretful.

 _"It is a harsh truth that heroics merely feed acts of villainy. Without heroes, there would not be villains. There would only be criminals, but since that is what they are, why do we make the distinction?_

 _"Quirks,"_ Imoku answered his own question. _"We are stuck with the adoration of the past, back to the beginning of quirks, back in the 20th century, when they were new. We have adopted their naming convention for those with power… We have adopted a naming convention that was used for fantasy works!_

 _"Now is not the time for fantasy."_

It was an interesting analogy, Aizawa had to admit. He'd never truly considered that but he could recall from his history lessons that there had been a subculture in the 20th Century that followed Comic Book Heroes. They were usually someone born different. Those who used their powers for good were heroes, those who didn't were villains.

He grimaced. Imoku's words would resonate with the crowd, and with anyone who knew history and most people knew at least a little bit about the emergence and growth of quirk society.

That though, was a problem for another day. He sighed as he looked back at his notes.

He couldn't spend all his time on this case, so the only time he'd seen the woman himself was when she was on her way home after doing whatever she did on the evening she met with her son. Then she never emerged from the apartment building. Imoku did. That made sense. Imoku went home. His mother slept, and Aizawa had classes to teach the next day so could never remain in the morning. And he had yet to see her on the weekends.

She had a small online presence, and all her paperwork was good but…

He couldn't quite put his finger on the problem but couldn't shake the feeling that there was a problem.

 _"Villains are an illusion! They are a creation of the media but they aren't the reality. Using the word villain allows us to forget that they are people. Allows us to comfort ourselves at night with the thought that they were evil, allows us our ignorance. It is easy. It makes a villain into a cover, somet-"_

Aizawa blinked, and looked back at the papers. A cover. An illusion. His lips twitched. That was it exactly. Mrs Kakurete was an illusion. Quite a skillful one. And a very well set up one as all the paperwork was complete and correct. Everything was as it should be.

He looked back at the screen, putting the TV on mute as he watched the politician.

It lead to more questions that it answered. Why did a politician need a cover for a mother? Unless Imoku wasn't who he said he was.

Shouta shivered. The realisation resonated with him and he felt a surety he'd only felt a few times in his life.

If Imoku Kakurete was not truly Imoku, then who the hell was he?

-afop-

 _The raid on the facility where the government was attempting to treat the Noumu's went well. Without orders Noumu are reasonably docile, so the facility wasn't that well protected. The League simply took over one of the security points, one that had access to the building's PA and then Tomura and Dabi simply ordered the Noumu to come to them. It actually worked very well._

 _I am still not certain how many Noumu the Heroes retrieved during the incident where Sensei was captured, but having Tomura and Dabi call their Noumu meant that only those properly conditioned came to us. Each Noumu has a specific handler, besides Sensei of course. Tomura has control over the most, but Dabi's Chainsaw Noumu is still alive. The fire villain was happy about that, though not as happy as Tomura was to learn that High End was still operational._

 _High-End actually displays intelligence. It is simple intelligence but it recognised its master and was pleased to see Tomura._

 _I am thankful that before the mission, Tomura at least remembered to tell those who were still labouring to create further Noumu that several would be coming back. They had the room ready to accept them and each of the Noumu seemed pleased to rest in their huge tubes._

 _Of course, now that the Noumu have been retrieved, there is the question of what the League's next target is. Overhaul or Hawks._

 _Both are tempting for different reasons._

 _Overhaul for his knowledge. He is the one who conceived quirk-erasing bullets and then found the means to create them._

 _Hawks for the double cross the hero is intending to perform._

 _Tomura wants the heads of both, though his burning desire for Hawks has diminished. That does not mean he will ever forgive the hero but he is now able to more calmly think about the situation. That is what makes Tomura dangerous. Not the fact that he will lash out in anger, but the fact that once he calms down, he does not truly let go of his anger, instead he plans._

 _Hawks is the larger danger, since we are still playing along with his plan and taking him out will make the most impact on society. Taking out the number one hero, again, will cement the League's reputation in general society. Overhaul has knowledge, but the concept is now public so there are others thinking about it, others trying to make it work. Overhaul might find another way but that will take time. Thus Hawks should be our target._

 _There is another, far more pragmatic reason to take down Hawks first. As a hero, he is much easier to find. Overhaul has gone to ground. After we took back the quirk-erasure bullets, the former Yakuza has been very careful to remain under the radar. I am forced to wonder if the government have arrested him and simply not announced it to the world. That would be like them, especially if one of the underground heroes took him out._

 _Though, I like to think I am well informed about the underground heroes. I do not recall one strong enough to do that. That doesn't mean there isn't one, just that they are truly being underground. If they are that strong, and that dedicated, I imagine when hero society falls, they will become a vigilante. I imagine those who have passed the little assessment the Hero Public Safety Bureau has established will all become vigilantes, because they are the ones who truly want to be heroes for what the public would call heroic reasons._

 _I also imagine that they will be watched carefully. They will be expected to lead by example which would go against what they truly desired._

 _I am looking forward to that day._

-afop-

"It's taken me a long time to find you."

Imoku started at the voice. So did Toga, who was currently masquerading as his mother.

He turned, looking down the corridor to the speaker. A man stepped out of the shadows. Not literally out of the shadows, but he moved so that he was properly illuminated. Imoku felt he should recognise the dark hair and black eyes but… he didn't.

Toga did. She hissed but said nothing. It wasn't really an appropriate sound for his mother and Imoku waved one hand at her to see if he could bluff his way out of this. He was reasonably sure the answer would be no, but it never hurt to try.

"My business hours are posted," Imoku said mildly, as if this man was one of his constituents. "I would be happy to see you tomorrow."

"Oh, I think you should see me now," the man insisted, coming forward. "This isn't going to be a conversation that should be had in public, now, is it, Mrs Kakurete?"

Imoku spared a glance at Toga. Her disguise was holding but her expression was not as cheerful as it usually was.

"Of course," she said. "We've been rude, Imoku and we should invite the man in."

He gave Toga a proper look but she just nodded. Imoku sighed as Toga opened the door wider. He stepped through, aware of the man behind him.

"Don't even think about using your quirk," came the soft warning. Imoku looked over to the man. There was something swirling in his hand.

"You appear to have me at a disadvantage," he said, still trying to remember who this was.

The man chuckled as they moved through the apartment's small vestibule into the lounge room. Since Imoku earned a lot, mostly from his business dealings, the apartment was nothing like the one he had shared with his mother… not that long ago. This was a rich apartment. There was a lot of space, and two leather couches faced each other over a low coffee table. A plush armchair was set up to enjoy the view, which at the moment was the lights of the city. They took seats on opposing couches, settling comfortably before looking back at each other.

"He's Overhaul," Toga snarled. She didn't make any move to attack though, their seated position could explain why.

The word finally triggered Imoku's memory. Overhaul was the one who had developed the Anti-Quirk bullets. "You mean Tomura hasn't killed him?" He asked. He would have thought that Tomura would have done something about Overhaul by now

Overhaul didn't laugh. "Tomura hasn't killed me but you have Tomura to thank for letting me know you exist."

"Oh?" Imoku made the murmur a question, while he collated what Overhaul would know about him in his mind. It wasn't much. He didn't really know the man and the main weakness was that he didn't know how much Tomura might have said, or implied about him.

"The League was always too well funded. They recovered too quickly," the man told him. "Their resources weren't the norm, that was the first clue. Even for someone as moronic as Tomura, without cash, there is nothing he can do. So I began searching.

"It's taken me a long time to find you, though I have Toga here to thank." Overhaul's face stretched into a grin. "You suck at watching your back," he told the girl.

She bristled but Imoku put one hand out, which seemed to calm her.

Overhaul chuckled. "I wondered about that," he murmured.

"About what?" Toga hissed.

"Which of you is more highly ranked," he replied, not even looking at her.

Imoku shook his head before he fixed his eyes on Overhaul. "That would be me," he told the man as he tried to focus his quirk.

"No quirks!" Overhaul growled, lifting the swirling vortex again and something tumbled to the ground.

Imoku let his fade. How had Overhaul detected it? Or… He glanced at Toga. She appeared deflated. One of her knives was at her feet. Overhaul meant her quirk, though Imoku wondered what she had been about to do. Obviously she needed to draw blood but knives were not a part of her quirk and she wouldn't drop it… that was something Overhaul had done. "I guess the question is what do you want?" he asked, waving one hand at Toga again. He'd handle this.

"Just the answers to a few questions, and then I'll deal with business," Overhaul replied before he made an odd movement. Toga made a small sound. Imoku glanced to her as he felt her movement. She was clawing at her face. Her mouth was gone and she was digging into the skin. Her nose was still clear, so the man wasn't trying to kill her yet.

"A very interesting quirk," Izuku said honestly. He'd never seen something quite like it. "Calm, Toga, calm," he told her. Her eyes locked on to his and Imoku gave her a reassuring nod.

"A demonstration," Overhaul told him. "Besides, I don't want her interfering."

The politician knew what that meant. "I'm always happy to discuss business," he responded to the earlier suggestion with a sharp smile that let Overhaul know that he wouldn't go without a fight.

The former Yakuza just gave him a thin smile, dismissing his threat. "Most of it is coming together for me," he said conversationally, "just by confirming your existence. You funnel money to the League and have capitalised on their efforts to change the rules."

Imoku gave Overhaul his own thin smile as he nodded, There was little point in denying it

"It has benefited the League, and your long term plan is very exciting. It's almost a shame that I have to take you out… Unless you want to-"

"No," Imoku interrupted before Overhaul could complete his offer. It was a pity he couldn't use his quirk when he spoke like that but saying yes would finish this far too quickly.

"Pity, I think you'd find that I am a much more reasonable boss than Tomura."

At that Izuku was forced to give the Yakuza a wry smile. "Probably," he allowed, extending himself a little, "but I am a member of the League, and the League does not betray their own."

Overhaul gave him a look that clearly said he thought Imoku was being naive. "Once they start sinking, Tomura will be abandoned. Especially without you. Without the resources you provide, he can't recover. You should think about it. You could save any you liked."

Imoku shook his head. Overhaul was thinking the League was something like he'd known. There was no point in explaining. "You'd never trust me." He placed particular emphasis on the worth trust. It was a very interesting concept.

Toga had calmed and was looking at him oddly before she blinked and nodded to herself. Imoku thought she'd figured out what he was going to do… But she didn't know it all.

The Yakuza had to good taste not to deny that there would be a lack of trust in any relationship they formed. "A pity then, though I will be entertained by the chaos this will cause."

"I don't think you will have much time to be entertained," Imoku said, leaning back, extending himself again. This was what made things so interesting. He had to trust that he had control. He always had to trust that he did, even at the times when it appeared he didn't. "The murder of a Representative will be investigated closely. They will find it's you." He didn't seen to say anything further. Though to his mind, he could also see how his half fulfilled plans would collapse. Some would continue but the overall goal would be missed.

"Oh, I know," Overhaul was relaxed. "But consider that they will also find Toga with you. At which point your credibility and reputation, even in death is ruined."

"I don't think so," Imoku shrugged as he put his hands on the leather of the couch. Overhaul saw the gesture but did nothing. So long as his hands could still be seen, it was okay. But it was a good beginning and he felt a drain of energy. Just a little. "There are many reasons for Toga to be here. Blackmail, for example, threats… I have, as you say, been changing the rules." He wasn't sure if Toga's quirk induced form survived if she was unconscious, and therefore he had no idea if her form might persist into death. He suspected not but quirks were odd like that, it was a possibility. Finding him, murdered with his mother would be tragic but not an ending he wanted.

It was not what would happen. Imoku glanced to Toga. Even with the enforced gag she was being uncharacteristically quiet. She was glaring at Overhaul but the man was completely ignoring her.

"I think you can release her now," Imoku murmured, pushing a little more power out. He resisted the urge to snarl. He'd had a long day, and hadn't eaten since lunch. This was not what he needed now.

"Oh… Is little Toga going to be quiet?" Overhaul mocked.

Imoku hoped Himiko would go along with it. She nodded, and then kept her head down as Overhaul rearranged her features again. "Interesting," he commented. "It doesn't cause pain?" Toga hadn't moved.

Overhaul looked at him like he was stupid. "It causes great pain. The bitch gets off on pain, you know that."

He glanced to the girl sitting beside him and nodded. That made more sense. "So, just knowing who I am can't have answered everything for you," he said to Overhaul, opening up the conversation.

"It answered a lot," the Yakuza replied. "Though there are a few niggling queries."

Imoku grinned. It was a genuine expression. "I don't get to brag that often, so indulge me," he encouraged.

"Why aren't you the League's leader?" The question was asked with an almost idle air but Imoku could see the implications. Overhaul thought he was the more intelligent man, the better candidate.

"Do you think I could juggle the House of Representatives, the League and my businesses?" Imoku returned with his own question, extending himself. His stomach poked him in protest, though thankfully it was not loud. It was beyond time this was over but he needed an opening.

"With competent underlin-"

Imoku held up one hand, not letting Overhaul finish. "And who would be that?" He asked, arching one eyebrow gently. The statement was deliberately designed to be open, to be amusing.

Overhaul gave a bark of laughter. "True," he conceded.

Imoku cocked his head. He couldn't smile at Overhaul's laugh. He would use it. "What else?"

There was a flash in Overhaul's eyes that warned Imoku the next question would be far more probing. "Who are you?"

"He's Imoku," Toga replied for him.

"No, you stupid girl. He's not. Imoku Kakurete is as much a fiction as you. So who are you? I'll make sure you are buried with your real name."

Imoku put his hand on Toga's thigh, calming her down as he chuckled. He wanted to say he was no one but that would transfer Overhaul's anger to him and he needed the man agreeable. "My name won't mean anything to you, but it is Izuku Midoriya."

There was no spark of recognition. There wasn't going to be. His disappearance had not been well reported but Imoku could tell that Overhaul believed him.

"You are right, it means nothing, and I think it's time to end this."

"Funnily enough, I was thinking the same thing," Imoku said, stretching out his senses and driving them at Overhaul, "and all you need to do is trust me."

The words immediately set Overhaul on alert and Imoku watched as he tried to activate his quirk. Too slow. The instant Imoku had finished speaking, he had driven his hand down the back of the couch, seeking the pistol he'd left there. Toga appeared shocked when she saw it and Imoku wasted no time, but was careful to ensure his aim was true as he shot one bullet into Overhaul.

He only had one bullet here.

Blood blossomed as the bullet penetrated Overhaul's shoulder.

"You missed!" Toga shrieked, jumping forward, pulling one of her knives from somewhere.

"I didn't," Imoku assured her, again extending his power. It was enough, just to keep her from cutting Overhaul's throat… That would be a waste.

"What have you done?" Overhaul snarled and rolling his forearm in a way that should be significant.

"Himiko, knife at the throat, but there is no need to cut," Imoku instructed, before deciding it was better if he didn't rise. His vision was watery, and it would completely ruin the image if he was to collapse now. Toga was quick to comply, pressing her knife into Overhaul's throat. He recognised the threat too late.

"What have you done!?" He screamed.

"I think you know," Imoku replied, lowering the gun, and shifting slightly as he retrieved the casing. He held it up.

It was amusing to see two sets of eyes recognise it.

"No!" Overhaul screamed, before Toga pressed her knife deeper. She knew they couldn't really afford the commotion.

"I think it's rather ironic," Imoku said conversationally.

Himiko snickered. "Izuku!" She purred his real name. It really didn't seem right coming from the form of the older woman.

"Do not call me that, in that form," Imoku said immediately.

Toga seemed to understand. "Give me his phone," He instructed her and watched as Toga went through Overhaul's pockets. She was careful to never let the pressure of her knife abate and eventually she held up the phone.

"Unlock it," Imoku ordered.

Himiko giggled but complied, holding the screen in front of Overhaul's face for a moment before she tossed the phone to him.

"How?" Overhaul growled.

Imoku considered the question. He really needed to eat but he couldn't give off any sign of weakness. The Yakuza had to know he wasn't going to get out of this predicament, so why was he seeking the information… And it would reveal information to Toga, who wouldn't tell anyone…He'd seen to that already. Imoku dialed a number from memory but didn't press send as he looked at Overhaul.

"My quirk is useless for combat," he explained. "Instead it relies on the mind, on trust, on suggestion. A moment is all I need, just one where you think favourably of me." That was all he said before touching send.

The phone rang. Imoku saw Overhaul thinking about the implications of his words, trying to work out his quirk but he'd been vague enough that there would still be doubts. The phone continued ringing. Imoku resisted the urge to glare but eventually it was picked up.

There was silence on the other end.

"Kurogiri," Imoku said firmly.

Overhaul recognised the name. So did Toga. "I have a gift for Tomura," Imoku said quickly, knowing that the bartender would recognise his voice. "Could you warp it from here?"

There was a few moments of silence before a warp gate opened, and Kurogiri's eyes formed in the mist. He took in the situation before shifting the gate.

"And can you deliver me a shake?" Imoku asked impishly, gesturing towards the coffee table.

Even as mist Kurogiri looked disapproving. "No one makes them like you do!" Imoku begged, using the words to hide the fact that he was going to have trouble moving. The older villain seemed to understand as he closed in around Overhaul.

"You won't win!" The Yakuza barked.

Despite the tiredness Imoku felt, and the way his vision was becoming dangerously narrow, Imoku smiled. "I already have."

-afop-


	12. Part 1: Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 _I_ _think I can forgive Imoku asking for a shake in exchange for what he gave us. I made it extra sugary. Tomura was torn between wanting to go to demand answers from Izuku and gloating over Overhaul. Still, it wasn't that long before Toga came back. Apparently they'd cut the usual dinner short. I made sure Toga had seen Imoku eat a lot._

 _She rolled her eyes, and reminded me that she had been feeding her baby Izuku for the last two years…_

 _The name she used did not go unnoticed but at least she had the sense to refer to Izuku only when she was alone with us. Finding out how she knows that name is something Overhaul can tell us. Himiko relayed some details and she even looked ashamed that she had been, at least partially, to blame for Imoku being found by Overhaul. She said something about owing him a favour. She positively glowed at the thought. I knew she liked older men but I wonder what she'd think if she knew Izuku was her own age._

 _Tomura waved her explanation off. He was too pleased with having Overhaul._

 _I'm not sure if he realises that Izuku used one of the quirk-destroying bullets we had given him. Maybe Tomura has noticed it and believes the payoff is worth the price. That would be like him. He's used to using rare items in games for an appropriate reward. Quirkless Overhaul is a very good reward._

 _I had thought that Izuku was going to copy the bullets. I am not sure what I feel about him having one stashed at his supposed mother's apartment. It makes me wonder where the other bullet is. I cannot argue the fact that it was used for a good purpose._

 _Tomura is currently wondering what to do with Overhaul. Personally I believe that making him into a Noumu would be interesting, though that would be far easier with Sensei. Forcing extra quirks into a person with one, drives them insane, though to be fair, at least some of the men used as the base for each Noumu have had a loose grip on sanity to begin with. The number of quirks required to drive a person insane depends on their mental strength and how closely related their quirk is to the one being forced into them. Someone with a strength augmentation quirk is likely to be able to withstand a shock absorption quirk but will not be able to handle any emitter type quirks._

 _Izuku is proof that a quirkless person can accept at least two quirks. Sensei was very clear that Izuku has two quirks, though I am still not sure what the second one is. I will have to ask Himiko if she knows. I suspect she doesn't. Toga is not stupid, so she will be aware that Izuku has two quirks but she will not know the details of the second._

 _Tomura doesn't care. But what I wonder is how someone who has had their quirk removed would handle the process of becoming a Noumu. Would they count as quirkless? Or would their body, like their mind, still remember their previous quirk?_

 _I probably won't find out. It is a passing interest._

 _Of more interest than the mess Tomura will make of Overhaul is what is happening in the hero world. The HPSB finally issued their psychological assessment to the Heroes of Japan._

 _The fall out has been glorious. So many failures._

 _Villains have always known the truth so many of the public ignore. Heroes are in the gig for money, fame and glory. There are very few who enter the industry with the desire to truly help people._

 _I am not so naive as to believe that the HPBS assessment focused on that. For the younger ones, those in training, there will be some assessment of their desire. For the elder heroes, those with a proven record, then the test will have been geared to their mental stability._

 _It is laughable. I almost feel pity for the HPBS but it is a fact that all heroes have their… quirks, their own oddities. It is passed off as what is needed to be successful. Villains have them as well. Even the League. Twice is full of them. Toga as well with her desire to cut up any boy her age. It is a ritual for many but villains do not have to prove their mental stability. Our only qualifications are results._

 _The first Heroes to fail and were sensible about it, retired. The public still thinks rather highly of them. For the others… the HPBS was forced to announce their results, and things went down hill for them. None of them suffered as badly as Endeavor but it was another blow to an industry already reeling._

 _The public has almost had enough of Heroes. They are tired of the scandal. They want something more, something better. They are not going to get it, of course, but the public always desires the unobtainable. And it suits us._

 _In an effort to strengthen belief in the current order, the HPBS had All Might take the assessment. It came as a surprise to none that he passed it. The results were well publicised but… The public has not forgotten All Might's forced retirement. It still saddens me to know that Sensei is incarcerated but, I must remind myself that it was our victory. A leader for a leader, and Sensei was far more prepared for his defeat than All Might was._

 _I will grant that revealing All Might's assessment results calmed some of the public but those were the people who would have calmed anyway. In any society there are those who do not care, so long as their creature comforts are not disturbed. As much as I hate heroes, those people are worse. I can respect someone with an opinion, and the conviction to fight for it, even if that conviction is the desire for fame. But those who will sell themselves out… I do not like them._

 _But they are not the problem._

 _With Overhaul in good hands - heh - I'm sure the focus will now turn to Hawks. The hero passed his assessment. I'm sure the HPBS breathed a collective sigh of relief about that but they know the situation is still very fragile._

 _But that's okay, the League has a sledge hammer._

-afop-

"Hawks," Dabi greeted the number one hero as he moved from the shadows.

It was surprisingly easy to keep the pleased smile on his face. Hawks moved further into the abandoned building. Dabi was pleased to see that the Number One Pro-Hero wasn't suspicious but then they had been meeting for quite some time. And since they couldn't exactly go to a cafe for a cup of coffee, their meeting points had been a series of abandoned buildings and warehouses.

Hawks would have liked some isolated area but Dabi had pointed out early in their relationship that isolated areas were visible to security cameras, and it didn't matter how poor the area was, there was always one around.

A building or a warehouse had a roof to help hide them from prying eyes.

The warehouse today was solid. Concrete pillars held everything up and Dabi knew, because he'd had to scout it out, that there was at least five floors above them. Hawks was strong but did not possess a strength enhancement quirk. He might be able to cut through them, but the League had thought of that.

Tomura was more than aware of how important this battle was. They could not afford to have Hawks escape.

"What is that?" The hero demanded, looking behind Dabi.

"That's my Noumu," Dabi replied nonchalantly.

"Your Noumu?"

Dabi huffed. "You know we retrieved them. You were quite upset about it," he added, reminding the hero how annoyed he had been. At the time, Dabi had thought it was because Hawks wanted to join in, but now he _knew_ it was because Hawks wanted to stop it. "I can't exactly leave it with the others, because it only obeys me."

He watched as Hawks moved forward slightly to get a better look at it.

"The chainsaw one," Dabi explained, knowing that as the Number One Hero would be familiar with the various designs.

They had the original Noumu, two of the Noumu used in Hosu, the Chainsaw Noumu and High End. All the others under development were considered too unfinished to use. It was a disappointment, since Hawks would have some understanding of their abilities.

But understanding abilities wasn't countering them and given that the original Noumu had been designed to take out All Might, the League was confident. The flying Noumu would have problems moving around in this setting but it was still remarkably quick. It was stationed on the roof of the building and would act if Hawks made to escape.

"It's bigger than I thought," Hawks said, moving slightly closer. The Hero was naturally wary and kept a bit of distance. Dabi was used to that and he shrugged at the statement. The Noumu just was.

"I think you are going to be happy today," Dabi told the Number One Hero.

"Oh?"

The fire villain gestured to the side. "Tomura wants to meet you," he said before the familiar swirl of Kurogiri's warp gate appeared.

There was a flash of surprised on the man's face before Dabi saw him settle. "I've wanted to meet him as well," Hawks replied as Tomura emerged. Kurogiri reformed behind him.

Dabi knew the warp villain had transported the other members of the League as well as the Noumus.

Tomura was dressed formally. That meant the full set of disembodied hands were gripping him. He still wore a simple black pullover, black pants with his red shoes. Dabi could see his eyes peering out from between the fingers of the hand covering his face.

The two of them faced off against each other. "Dabi has been telling me some interesting news," Tomura announced.

Hawks nodded. Dabi could see that the hero was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected this confrontation today, despite his requests.

Tomura lifted one hand, scratching at his neck. "Of course, the question everyone wants to know is why?"

"I didn't go through UA, so I didn't get indoctrinated like the rest of the good little heroes," Hawks said. "I've seen the damage heroes are doing. All Might was too powerful. He was too much of a symbol and now that he's gone, everything collapses. Endeavor-" Hawks snorted, "I used to admire him but the less said the better."

Dabi watched the speech. Now that he knew the Hero was planning on betraying them, the man's words took on a different meaning. He could hear the slight note of uncertainty, the surprise.

"Ah, but this one is still a hero," Tomura replied, in that whiny tone of voice he thankfully didn't use so often now. It made him seem like a spoiled toddler. Dabi could appreciate that it was for affect and was once again surprised at how controlled the League's leader could be, when he wanted.

The tone affected Hawks. Dabi could see the way the Hero cringed. It was subtle but Tomura could get under anyone's skin.

"Yes, Tomura Shigaraki, he is," Kurogiri replied. The warp villain had almost infinite patience when dealing with Tomura but Dabi supposed the mist villain had been doing it for longer than any of them… Except Imoku.

"And he plans on remaining a Hero," Tomura continued.

"No, I don't!" Hawks objected. It even sounded truthful.

"The Hero Public Safety Bureau plans indicate that he will," Kurogiri replied.

Hawks reacted instantly. He ripped two long feathers from his wings and charged towards Tomura almost too fast to be seen. Except, it wasn't the League taken by surprise. The original Noumu dropped through a portal, and behind Hawks, at the door, High End moved to cover the entrance.

Tomura didn't even move when Hawks slashed at the Noumu. It reacted. Hawks was fast but the Noumu had been created to take out a hero who was far strong and faster than Hawks. During All Might's reign, the winged hero had been worthy of the title Number Three Hero, but All Might embodied the huge gap between the Number One Hero and the rest. Not all Heroes were equal.

Even so Hawks managed to avoid the Noumu's punch. He flared his wings, sending a spray of features into the ground. Others flew around. Dabi was waiting for that. He sent a gout of fire to the ground, burning them. Hawks glanced at him for a moment. The hero saw everything he needed in that single look. Dabi's expression was hard and unforgiving. The friendship they might have formed was dead.

The hero backed away as the Noumu advanced. He was sensible enough to realise he was in a very bad situation. His assessment didn't get any better when he glanced behind to see the other Noumu blocking the door. And Kurogiri opened another warp gate, bringing in the last one. This was one that had been arrested in Hosu. Its four eyes glared balefully at the Hero.

"High End," Tomura called the name. It was enough of an order. High End wanted to fight. For a Noumu he actually had feelings. The others didn't and the bird like Noumu, the original Noumu moved back to stand with Tomura, guarding him.

"Master," the Noumu acknowledged and charged.

Hawks tried to fly out of the way, but space was limited. The building was large but the ceiling was not high and the Noumu too fast. This one had been designed differently. It was still ridiculously strong, and fast. Dabi had wondered once which might win in a battle between them. Tomura had confidently asserted that High End would take out all the other Noumu except for the original. Even the League's leader wasn't sure which would win then.

Not that the Noumu's would ever get a chance to fight each other. There were enough heroes to go around.

Hawks slashed at High End with the two feathers he had originally pulled from his wings. They were long feathers, almost like swords. His wings were looking shabby but Dabi knew that they were still functional. The Noumu didn't even bother to dodge the cuts. Blood slashed on to the concrete floor but the wounds healed and High End took a swing at Hawks.

The hero jumped back quickly but hadn't anticipated the speed of the attack. High End jumped forward and Dabi saw something on its shoulders that pushed it faster. Jets, he realised… and equally realised that being this close was not a good position to be in. He was thankful his Noumu would cover him.

The lay out now made sense. While there were other members of the League present, they were on the other floors, positioned there to attempt to slow down Hawks if he tried to go that way. Those on this floor were all covered by a Noumu. It would not be a usual tactic for a Hero but Hawks could have tried to take any of them hostage. Not that it would have worked.

Tomura didn't care about them… Not even Kurogiri, though Dabi felt that Tomura would at least regret losing the warp villain. The rest of them… not so much.

But it didn't appear as if any of them would be lost today.

Hawks was backing away from High End. He still had both feather swords gripped tight but there was a dark mark forming on the side of his face, and Dabi could see that he was favouring his left side.

"Weak," High End droned before leaping for the hero. Hawks tried to slow the Noumu down with a barrage of feathers. They simply lodged in the Noumu's flesh, not hindering it in the slightest. The hit it delivered impacted the hero as High End didn't worry about getting cut from the blades. Hawks flew into one of the walls, leaving an impressive crater.

Most would be finished from that, but Hawks knew he had to get away. His wings were almost down to the bone, and Dabi could see the way that he was struggling. Blood dripped from Hawks' mouth, but he managed to pull the last few feathers out and fling them.

Dabi didn't understand the motion until his Noumu moved. As did Tomura's. From his angle, Dabi could see the way the original Noumu was crouched in front of Tomura, a feather stuck into its chest. It was not the move he expected from Hawks but it made brutal, logical sense.

It was too late though. High End slammed into the Hero and Dabi watched as the smaller body shook with the force of the hits. Hawks was going to die, which wasn't really an issue but seemed too merciful from Tomura.

"Stop."

Dabi snorted as the order echoed his thoughts.

"It's weak," High End complained.

"Yes," Tomura agreed, moving forward. The original Noumu moved with him.

"Is there something stronger?" High End demanded.

"There will be," Tomura told the Noumu.

Dabi wondered who but realised it didn't matter. There might be someone stronger out there. The Hero ranking was based on many things, not just strength so it was possible that one of the up and coming heroes was stronger than they seemed. He doubted it…

But maybe his little brother?

Who knew? That was a problem for another day

Tomura looked down at the now unconscious and broken hero. Somehow, Hawks had managed to keep his two sword feathers. Tomura touched one, disintegrating it almost instantly but then he carefully picked up the other. His little finger ostentatiously raised. A trophy.

"Kurogiri," Tomura ordered, though Dabi could tell he was pleased.

The warp villain nodded and opened warp gates. Dabi looked upwards, knowing that Kurogiri would be opening gates for the others who hadn't had to fight. Tomura calmly walked through the gate, followed by the original Noumu, and then High End who was dragging Hawks by one crushed leg. It was a good thing the hero was unconscious or the pain would be indescribable.

Dabi looked around. There wasn't that much damage, just a few feathers here and there, a bit of blood… and the impact point Hawks had made. Oh well… It's not like he would have told his sidekicks where he was. If the other Heroes found this place there wasn't much they could do.

It was time to go home.

Dabi paused at the thought before he smiled. It was correct. It was time to go home. He stepped through the gate.

-afop-

 _It has always surprised me, in an industry that is meant to be for public safety, how little safety there is for the Heroes. Hawks' disappearance was noticed and while I am aware that his sidekicks looked for me, there was very little effort made to search for him._

 _I know this, because Imoku confirmed it. Of course, even if there had been a large public search, then it would have found nothing. Oh, they might have found the building but they wouldn't have found Hawks. Not without finding us._

 _And given the Hero's condition, finding him was not the same as saving him. High End had not held back. The scientists involved in creating the other Noumu's double as doctors but even they were hard pressed to keep the Hero alive. They did, but he would never recover properly. That suits the League. We do not need an attempted traitor._

 _The heroes would argue that Hawks didn't actually betray us. He never got the chance. Technically that is true. But the League doesn't operate via technicalities. We operate via results, and there is no questioning Tomura's results._

 _He has changed. When Sensei was captured, Tomura was a child. He was selfish and often he could not see reality. He is still selfish but we all are to some extent, but now he sees reality, and when he doesn't like it, he knows how to change it so that it is more pleasing to him._

 _Villains operate on results and Tomura's have been good. There is no escaping that. The underworld recognises it. And Imoku has capitalised on it._

 _I don't think Tomura completely understands that yet. He has focused on what affects him, which has been enough but the rest of the League have been seeing what Imoku is doing. Toga has been good. Only the core members of the League know Imoku is a part of the League. Tomura, myself, Dabi, Toga, Mustard, Twice and Compress. Those who came in early. The newer members simply know Togo goes once a week to visit a contact. They do not know who he is._

 _They sometimes ask Dabi how he arranged that interview… those who think seriously about the incident do, anyway. Most people don't think about the logistics involved._

 _But the message is out there. It began slowly but it is accelerating. The world as we know it has almost fallen. Faith in heroes is at an all time low, and Imoku has already planted the seeds of the future._

 _So many Villains just rage against the system. So many claim they want to change it but they do not truly think about the transition, or what happens next. I am proud that the League has. The Heroes will not appreciate it, but the League has managed so much. We are managing that transition, so that when they fall there will not be chaos. We are managing the change, never taking it too fast. They will never thank us._

 _Tomura doesn't see it either. I doubt many will._

 _The future will. The future will look back on these years, and those then will know how carefully everything was controlled, how much work it took to ensure everything came together. Sensei always said it took more practice, more work to make something seem effortless. It is Imoku who is doing that work._

 _He is doing it well. No one suspects him. I'm sure there are those who suspect he is guilty of something. That's inevitable, given his positions in business and politics. But there is no one who suspects he is working for the League. That's what counts._

 _The Hero Public Safety Bureau assessments continue. There have been more heroes failing but most of the public have become tired of that. It makes sense. If the high ranking heroes fail, then it stands to reason that those lower down the ranks will also fail. It is not news, though Imoku mentions it every now and then, gently hammering home the point, keeping the public aware. It is a subtle way of manipulating the environment._

 _It keeps the public's mind open and ready for change. It makes the government aware of the need for change. And no one is any the wiser about Imoku's involvement._

 _Overhaul knows but Overhaul is in no position to talk. I think he is still alive but I admit I haven't checked lately. If he is, then he's probably enjoying whatever Tomura is doing to Hawks. The two of them are being imprisoned near the other. I hope they enjoy each other's company though how much either can talk is in question._

 _For the moment, the League is simply enjoying our success. We have not won yet, but it is just a matter of time._

-afop-

Mirio sat quietly at the table while he waited. The room was plain but sound proofed. He could see cameras in each of the corners. It felt like he was a prisoner, but he knew the door was open. He could walk out at any time,

He wouldn't. And those who had sent him here, knew he wouldn't.

The door opened. A middle-aged woman walked in. She was dressed in a simple suit and carried a clipboard. Mirio watched as she took the seat across the table. She laid the clipboard on the table, paper side down before looking up at him.

Mirio closed his eyes at her expression, and for once he didn't see… Mirio mentally shook the image away. He knew what her expression meant. He'd been expecting this.

"My name is Tsukiko Abusaki," she told him. "I work as a Psychologist for the Hero Public Safety Bureau."

"Mirio Togata," he introduced himself.

She nodded. She already knew that. "In the wake of the League of Villain's attack on the Nighteye Agency, I administered your Assessment, in accordance with the Heroes Must Be Heroes Bill, Section 27.35.1."

Mirio nodded. He knew what that section said. The basic part of the bill said that all Heroes or those working as sidekicks had to have yearly psychological assessments. It made sense. It kept them from becoming too stressed. It kept them from bottling their problems inside. It kept them from going insane.

The section Tsukiko was referring to was further down. It required, that in the wake of a traumatic incident, all involved be assessed to ensure that they had recovered, or were recovering from the incident.

It was generous. It was mature and compassionate and Mirio was sure it was a good thing… The assessments were designed to keep heroes, and those who worked with them sane. The community, and the public needed that.

But he knew what his assessment would say.

"Your results indicate that you were unduly affected by the incident. Follow up assessments reveal, that even with treatment you have remained stressed."

Mirio was hard pressed not to slam his hands on the table. Of course he remained stressed! How could he not? It was his fault that Sir Nighteye had lost his quirk, had lost the ability to view the future. Sir told him it was a blessing, insisted even. Sir said it was better this way, that he accepted it but Mirio could see the way he was tired and stressed, and in pain.

And it was all his fault.

"As you are an active Side-Kick, due to Sub-Section 27.35.3, you are required to take a leave of absence from hero work while you attend to your mental health."

Mirio nodded. He knew this was coming.

"You can attend sessions with a HPBS appointed psychologist, or you can nominate your own," Tsukiko continued.

"I will take your recommendation," Mirio said. He wasn't sure who else he could see… and one good thing had come about from some of the heroes being forced into retirements. Some of them were training, or already had training to be psychologists. Not everyone did the hero course. They understood the needs of a hero. They would understand when he spoke to them, and most of the former heroes, turned psychologists worked for the HPSB because it was all so new.

Mirio thought that in time they'd move on, branching out to start their own clinics. One of them, Amplifier, Mirio thought it was, had made the humourous connection, saying that working at the HPSB was the equivalent at working at a Hero agency as a sidekick. You gained experience there before you went to start your own.

So he'd feel better speaking with the HPSB psychologists. A civilian psychologist would do their best but just wouldn't understand.

Tsukiko nodded, and flipped over the clipboard. She pulled a pen from her pocket and after flipping over several pages, she made a note. "I will send you a list of those who are available," she told him.

"Thank you."

"Do you need to make arrangements with your agency?" Tsukiko asked.

Mirio shook his head. Sir Nighteye and Centipeder already knew. They had both tried to reassure him, and told him to get better so that he could return to work. They would hold a place for him.

Tsukiko looked at him. Mirio said nothing. He looked back. She sighed. "How do you feel about this?" She asked at length.

How did he feel about it? He didn't hate the assessments. They were for his protection, after all. They were for the protection of everyone.

He hated the League. And he hated that he hated himself for that. As a hero he wasn't meant to hate.

But he did. He could feel the emotion burning in him. He wasn't sure how he could deal with it, unless he could face the League. But he couldn't face the League until he was better and that required him to let go of his hate. How did he do that?

UA had taught him a lot but they had never covered that.

"Frustrated," Mirio admitted honestly.

Tsukiko gave him a pleased smile. "I understand. It is not an unusual reaction," she told him. "I know it seems like you won't get better, and that you will be banned from Hero work forever, but that's not the case. With the help of the HPSB you will get better and you can return. And in the long run, it will be better for you, and for everyone. So, I would ask you to accept the frustration for the moment, and look to the future."

Mirio nodded. This wasn't a therapy session, but an informative one. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I'll try," he told her.

He had no other choice.

-afop-


	13. Things Kurogiri Doesn't Know 2

**Things Kurogiri Doesn't Know: Inko Midoriya**

Inko Midoriya was a simple woman. Sure, she knew life wasn't perfect, but she had her son, they had enough to eat and they loved each other. That was enough. She was content.

Until the day Izuku never came home.

At first she wasn't concerned. There had been a villain fight earlier in the day, and Izuku loved those. He was probably trying to get more information. And then there came news of another Villain attack one that All Might stopped. Knowing Izuku he'd be on the fringes of that fight, watching intently.

So she wasn't concerned and continued fixing dinner for them both.

But then a half hour late turned into an hour, that turned into two and there was no notification from him. Sometimes some of the Villain fights took out transport and Izuku had to walk but he always told her! Except this time he didn't.

Inko tried calling him. There was no answer. More worryingly the phone didn't go to messages. She got a message telling her that the number had been cut off. She tried again. She texted him, and then she got onto her social media and contacted him. Inko had promised Izuku she wouldn't stalk him online but knowing those accounts had made her feel happier.

They hadn't been touched. They were still there, but Izuku hadn't logged in since that morning.

Inko called Mitsuki, and was half in tears when she spoke to her old friend. After some shouting and explosions Mitsuki told her that Katsuki hadn't seen Izuku since he left school. There was a note in Mitsuki's voice that Inko wouldn't recognise until later. Mitsuki was worried but that was for Katsuki since he had nearly died.

It was nine pm when Inko called the Police. The food she had prepared had gone cold on the table but she didn't care. She was comforted when they sent over someone immediately. She put on a pot of tea and let the Policeman in and she thought everything would be okay.

It wasn't.

They took her statement but Inko could see something in their eyes when she described her son. The moment they asked about his Quirk and she was first to admit that he didn't have one… there was something there. The Policeman remained professional, he took down everything she said but, Inko felt sick.

She cleaned up that night and went to bed but didn't sleep.

It didn't get any better the next day. After choking down a bit of toast, Inko walked to the station. She introduced herself at the front desk and was told to wait. The station moved around her, active despite the early time. She tried not to listen. She tried not to cry. She tried not to worry but she could hear snippets of conversation around here.

"-worse than a gun-"

"-better than yesterday-"

"-multiple counts-"

It was not comforting.

Eventually a detective came to see her. His introduced himself as Detective Tanema. He showed her to his desk, sat her down, gave her tea and then started asking questions. Except they were the same questions she'd been asked last night!

Inko forced herself to be calm. Crying here wasn't going to find Izuku. She pointed out that the questions were the same. Tanema looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, I know that. It is just routine protocol to confirm everything," he reassured her.

"It's not finding Izuku." Inko couldn't help but point out.

"It help us establish due cause, and the facts of the situation," he countered.

It took Inko a moment to realise what he was saying. He thought Izuku had run away because of her! Rage briefly drowned the worry she was feeling. "My son has not just run away!" Inko said quietly. Her words were reinforced when everything on his desk rattled.

"Ma'am, please call down!" Tanema said quickly. "No one believes your son has run away," he added. It was not convincing.

"You do," Inko said pointedly.

The Detective sighed. "Statistically Ma'am, when a child-"

"That's not what happened!" Inko could no longer stay calm. She wailed, thick tears forming in her eyes and rolling down her face.

Tanema seemed uncomfortable. "He didn't run away!" Inko cried. "He wouldn't."

She didn't see when another Detective put their hand on Tanema's shoulder and took his place.

"Ma'am."

Inko didn't recognise the change in voice.

"Ma'am," the new detective said more urgently. There was something in his voice that caused her to look.

Inko blinked through her tears, recognising that a new man was sitting there. Tanema stood uncertainly behind him.

"My name is Detective Naomasa, Ma'am," the new comer introduced himself.

Inko nodded but didn't say anything.

"We will fill out the rest of those questions later," he said. "For now, could you tell me if your son could have been involved with any of the incidents yesterday?"

Inko blinked. What type of question was that? And then she recalled the two incidents that had been reported yesterday. "He would have watched," Inko said slowly. "Izuku loves villain fights. He loves seeing the heroes."

The new Detective nodded, and noted something down. "And Izuku goes to Aldera Junior High?"

Inko nodded.

"Could you tell me if this is your son?" Detective Naomasa asked, tapping on a tablet before handing it over to her.

Inko peered at it. The footage was grainy and bad, but it showed Izuku. Her heart lightened just seeing it. He was walking into an underpass. He was okay though. He was in his uniform and… something dropped on to him. She couldn't tell from the footage but it looked gooy, almost like mochi and she could see Izuku struggling with it. Her heart clenched… Had Izuku been involved in one of the attacks yesterday?

She always worried that one day he'd get too close, that one day…

Something blocked the camera… no, that was someone, but then they moved and she saw Izuku again. He was fine, though coughing. It took her a moment to recognise the other person in shot… Was that All Might? Inko felt her heart clench. What had happened? The Pro-Hero was smiling, and Izuku was following him before he leapt away…

And Izuku vanished.

"What?" Inko couldn't help the question.

Detective Naomasa looked at her. "Your son was involved in one of the incidents yesterday, specifically what is being referred to as the Sludge Villain," the man told her. "He disappears there because he latched on to All Might," he added, nodding at the now frozen tablet image.

A hundred thoughts bombarded Inko. Where was Izuku? If he was with All Might, then why wasn't he fine? But then more words seeped into her consciousness. He'd latched on to All Might. Was he okay? Had he fallen? Had there been damage from the Sludge Villain? Was he in hospital right now? She didn't know.

"He was transported to a rooftop, where All Might let him off," Naomasa said with a small smile.

Inko breathed a sigh of relief. It didn't remain. The next words would haunt her forever.

"And then, the trail goes cold."

No. No. No. No! This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. Not to Izuku.

"There is unfortunately no footage from the roof, but there are sensors on the doorway. They detect when someone opens the door to the stairway to get down," Naomasa explained. "Or to get up to the roof."

Inko nodded. Her building had them as well. All buildings had them. They didn't record who went on to the roof, just that someone did. It was some sort of safety feature and the data had a lot of other uses. All data had uses. She didn't quite understand it but there was a lot of things she didn't understand.

"It wasn't tripped," the Detective said.

It took her a moment to understand. "What do you mean it wasn't tripped?" Inko asked, attempting to remain polite.

"The sensor on the rooftop door was not tripped," he elaborated. "And an examination of the CCTV cameras in that building and in the streets outside, from the time of the incident with the Sludge Villain to now does not display your son."

She stared at the Detective, trying to work out what he said. "So where is he?" Inko asked.

"That is what we are trying to determine Ma'am," Naomasa told her.

"What did All Might say?"

The two Detective's just stared at her. Inko knew what she looked like. She was short. She was dumpy and she cried too much. She came off as a weakling and while all that might be true, when it came to Izuku she had a core of iron. She would not break.

"I… ah…" Naomasa seemed too surprised for words.

"You must have spoken to him," Inko said, telling the sense of panic she felt to come back later.

"We have, Ma'am," the Detective finally said. "He confirmed that he rescued your son from the Sludge Villain and then left your son on the roof, before he lept off again as part of the Sludge Villain had gotten away and he needed to subdue it."

Inko correlated that against what she knew from the news. That made sense. There had been no report that the Sludge Villain had attacked anyone earlier in the day, just that it had attacked and had been subdued by All Might.

The detective looked down to a tablet. "At 16:14 All Might initially subdued the Sludge Villain and at 16:28, it reappeared and was subsequently taken down again," he read the report to her.

Fourteen minutes, Inko thought. Fourteen minutes in which Izuku disappeared. It was far too long.

She looked at the Detectives, focusing on the second one as he seemed much more reasonable. "You have to find him," she implored Detective Naomasa. "He's all I have," she added in a whisper.

"Ma'am, we will do everything we can."

She nodded, hating the feeling of hopelessness she felt.

It was a feeling that didn't go away.

A day turned into two. Two days turned into a week. The week turned into more.

Every day Inko tried to keep up her hope but it was hard. Izuku just wasn't there. He never came home. He never messaged. His phone remained dead. His online accounts remained dead. Each week, Inko cleaned his room, careful not to disturb anything, and she changed the sheets.

But there was a hollow feeling in her gut that just wouldn't go away.

It had started the moment she realised Izuku was missing. It grew exponentially when the Detectives told her they had exhausted every lead. It was lying in her stomach, consuming everything. She barely ate, she barely drank and her eyes were either ringed by black or puffy with tears.

After the police gave up, she printed posters and took them around the city. She posted them everywhere she could. She questioned anyone who even glanced at them but nothing changed. There was no news.

It was, as the Detective's said, as if Izuku had just disappeared from the world.

But that wasn't possible. He had to be somewhere…

On her good days, Inko hoped he was well, that he had just forgotten her, and that he was happy. On her bad days, she cried, because that's all she could do when she imagined Izuku dead… when she imagined him being experimented on because she knew that to some, his quirkless status would make him valuable.

She barely noticed the world changing around her. What did it matter, with Izuku gone?

What did it matter that Katsuki had gotten into UA, when it wasn't with Izuku? What did it matter that a villain killed one of those UA students? Izuku wasn't there. What did it matter that All Might had been forced to retire? He hadn't saved Izuku!

What did anything matter?

Those were the worst days and Inko had to remind herself that she couldn't go. She had to stay, for when Izuku returned. She had to be waiting for him and she'd cook Katsudon and everything would be well. She forced herself to work, and began taking shifts with various charities. Many of those charities worked with those who were Quirkless, those who society deemed worthless.

Izuku was not worthless. It was through them that she learned of a new Politician, one who proclaimed that he would only hire those who didn't have a quirk. Everyone was skeptical. Of course they were, but the man actually went through with it.

Inko went to one of his speeches with several of the quirkless people who had been hired by his companies.

It burned the first time she laid eyes on him. She just stared, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. It felt like someone had plunged a knife into her heart but for a moment the aching emptiness was forgotten. He had green hair and green eyes. They were the exact shade of Izuku's.

When she finally remembered to breath, it was in short, sharp gasps.

"Inko!"

The voice eventually got through to her.

"Inko, are you alright? Do we need to get you some air?"

She looked into the concerned face of Naoki. He was a quirkless gentleman about her own age. She had worked with him when he'd been homeless, not by choice but because he simply couldn't find anyone willing to employ him until this politician. He cleaned up well.

"No!" Inko replied immediately. "You've said so much about him, I don't want to take you away."

Naoki smiled at her. "If you are sure," he said in such a way that she knew he wouldn't consider it a bad thing if she had to leave. It was just what happened.

"I'm sure."

"Okay," he replied. "You know, I haven't actually met him," he said.

"But…"

Naoki chuckled. "He's the Director. He sets the policy for the company. I'm just a programmer."

Inko nodded, feeling slightly silly. She knew how that worked. But it was good that this politician was ensuring that he could employ quirkless people and the jobs weren't just those for menials. She took a deep breath and looked back at the Politician who was still speaking.

His hair and eyes were the exact same shade as Izuku's but he was older, much older than her boy. He might even be older than her! He spoke well. Inko couldn't help but be taken in by his words. They were attractive but more than that, they were realistic.

There was a passion in them that engulfed those listening. He was… He was a consummate orator but all without making anyone feel stupid. He explained his points.

Inko felt herself smile at his words. He believed them. It was a silly thought… it was one of those things she'd have never thought in the past but this politician was exactly how she had hoped Izuku would work out. He was confident and proud without being arrogant. He had a sense of presence that reassured everyone, that said everything would be okay because he was there.

Well, it wasn't. For Inko it would only ever be okay once Izuku was home. She knew she stood out on that but it was a surprise when he turned to her. His green eyes were kind, but somehow Inko knew he could see her pain.

It came as no surprise to her that when he finished his speech he came towards their group. Naoki was gasping. Inko managed to calm him down, just as the man came up to them.

"You have questions?" he asked. It was a challenging question but asked such that Inko could hear his curiosity. If they did have questions, then he wanted to explain, he wanted them to understand. It was not a challenge, it was caring.

"I… wha… I… no, Sir," Naoki stuttered through the broken words.

He smiled at the man. "Relax, Sir, relax." It was said in a gentle tone, as if he was laughing, but not at Naoki, with him.

"How have others taken your policies?" Inko was surprised at her question.

"A very good question Ma'am."

"Please, call me Inko."

For a split second, the politician seemed surprised. She was astounded at her boldness. Then he smiled at her. "Your question is good," he repeated. "I think anyone who has a problem with my policies, really needs to take a good look at themselves. Discrimination against those who are quirkless is reflection on them, and their inability to see a human as human. The law, and basic decency awards every human dignity. Every _human_ , not every quirk."

Inko nodded at the words. It was a well spoken argument.

"But I sense you have a story, something more personal since you already know that, hmm?"

She managed not to jerk back but it was a close thing. How did he know? Inko nodded.

"Then why don't you come with me and tell me, and I will see what I can do to help?"

That is how Inko found herself sitting next to Naoki across the table from the politician at a restaurant that cost more than she could possibly afford. The politician simply waved that away, telling her it was his treat.

And that's how she ended up telling the man, who looked so much like she wanted to believe Izuku would be when he got to be that age, everything she knew.

He nodded and asked questions at the right points. They were good questions too. He was paying attention to her and at the end of the meal, which was lovely but like everything else, coloured by the loss of Izuku and her having to remember, the politician leaned back.

"While no missing persons case is ever truly closed until-" he stopped, grimacing. Inko appreciated the tact. "I'll see what I can do to get another investigation," he continued. "It's been a while, so there may be new information."

Inko didn't bother to suppress the flash of gratitude that went through her at the words, even if the dark, aching part of her screamed that there would be nothing found.

It was crushing when that part of her was right. There was no new information.

The politician sympathised with her. He sat with her the day when he brought that information. Inko had been surprised. She thought he would just do it for a stunt, but he genuinely cared. He made time for her. He shared her sadness, and while it hurt and made her cry more, Inko was comforted that he hadn't simply dismissed Izuku as just another runaway, or someone who was dea-.

No, he saw more than that. He saw hope for her, and Inko was greatly lacking in hope. She grasped it whenever she could. The whispered words were a balm to her soul. "I'm sure your son, Izuku, is out there. Somewhere. And given what a wonderful boy you have described him as, I know he will do great things one day."

There was absolutely no doubt in his tone. She held onto that.

And slowly, while the ache never went away, Inko felt herself get involved again. The world no longer passed her by. It mattered when All Might's side kick was attacked and lost his quirk. It mattered when Katsuki failed the mandated assessment and was enrolled in the General Course at UA, though Inko privately thought it would be for the best. It would force him to calm down. It mattered when the so called League of Villain's attacked a facility holding some sort of human experiment.

All those things mattered. Not as much as Izuku but they mattered.

It wasn't until a bit later, when Inko had become a fixture at the politician's speeches and he'd asked permission to use Izuku as an example of the differences between those who had quirks and those who didn't that Inko realised that slowly she had regained some balance. Slowly she had regained some life.

She didn't know what to feel about that but she couldn't stop. There was something comforting about his words. Something that reminded her of Izuku. It was more than the green hair and eyes, it was the way he felt, and the way he was kind. So many people said that this or that celebrity was kind, was a great person but Inko knew this.

That's why she was happily handing out pamphlets when it happened. She looked up and saw Izuku's eyes, Izuku's hair, Izuku's smile. She saw her son.

"Izuku!" The name slipped out.

And then Inko blinked. It wasn't Izuku, it was the politician, who was a good man but wasn't her son.

He looked shocked. He was staring at her with wide eyes.

Inko burst into tears. They were never far from the surface, but they overflowed now. Then she was engulfed in a hug. The politician's strong arms were around her and she was surprised by how warm he felt. He was taller than her so her head was held against his chest. He leaned his head down, and Inko could feel his breath ruffling her hair.

"It's alright mum."

Inko froze. She hadn't heard that. She couldn't have heard that! Then he drew back, and gave her a soft smile. "I am honoured, Ma'am, that you would call me your son," he said. "But my name is Imoku Kakurete."

She flushed, and wiped her eyes, before nodding and giving him a watery smile.

Imoku bowed his head briefly before he walked away.

But Inko knew what she'd heard…

And her heart ached.


	14. Part 1: Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 _Without Hawks' body, a determination of his fate could not be revealed to the public. Imoku has informed us, via Toga that the HPSB is keeping a lid on the Number One Hero's disappearance. They have instructed his agency and sidekicks to say he is on a long term mission._

 _As if you could send the number one hero on a long term mission! You can, but not one that is undercover. They are simply too recogniseable._

 _The media is keeping quiet. I understand why Hawks' sidekicks keep quiet. It's their job, but the media's job is to report. They are a part of the corruption of society. They serve the highest bidder, and soon enough that bidder will be the League._

 _Tomura has been distracted with his toys. I thought he should be more active, that the League should be more active but I am reassured that it will be fine. Imoku, again through Toga gave me a message. He said it would be find to indulge for now since time was required for the public to mull over events. Time was required for the government to do so as well._

 _Change couldn't be achieved in a day. Or rather, it could but that was usually brutal, temporary change. What the League wants is something more permanent. That's what Izuku is working towards and I understand that type of change takes time._

 _Who ever thought that one of the problems I'd experience in my career is boredom? Or not specifically boredom but something else… Just routine. There is not much to do but tend the new bar. That should be the new, new bar, and try to think of anything that can be done to forward our case. We could do many things, but I do not wish the League to become known for mindless violence. Our strikes have a purpose, though the world has yet to recognise that._

 _They will. For now, we will wait._

-afop-

Aizawa stood on the edge of the crowd. He wasn't sure he wanted to be here, but he had done many things in the course of his career that he wasn't sure about. He'd just never expected that attending a political rally would be one of them.

Especially not for a very popular independent member of the House of Representatives. But Representative Imoku Kakurete was giving a speech and while Aizawa had listened to a lot of his speeches already, this was the first time he had been to one live.

The man was a great orator. He was playing the crowd with careful words and key phrases. They were hanging on his words. It was something unheard of for a first term Representative but there it was.

Except… Nedzu was right. Aizawa's investigation confirmed that. There was something up with the Representative. What annoyed the Pro-Hero was that he still didn't know what. He just couldn't find the key which would make the puzzle make sense. It was infuriating, which was why he was here. Maybe if he saw Imoku, maybe if he could feel the way Imoku moved, the way Imoku thought he could find that missing piece.

He was keeping his expression hidden as Imoku talked. It was one of those topics that Aizawa really didn't like hearing about, even if it was true.

"-keep putting this off. We keep ignoring the obvious. We are hoping that the problem will just go away. But it's not going away," Imoku said. "It won't go away that easily," he added, looking sad.

Aizawa was more than sad. He was furious. The emotion was directed inwards and was directed at all the other heroes! How had they let it come to this?

"Many heroes are now facing retirement, or are facing lengthy times of leave. As the public we can berate that, but we can not begrudge them. It is for their health, and while many still believe sickness is physical, those of us who are enlightened, those who are wise, recognise that sickness is in the mind as well. Thus, we must allow our heroes that time to heal, we must allow them time to recover. To do anything less would be abuse."

The problem, Shouta thought to himself, was that the words were all very logical. The assessments were as well. It was important to maintain the mental health of heroes, or else they couldn't do the work… It's just that, in maintaining mental health, the HPSB had disqualified so many heroes and sidekicks

It would be better in the long run… Aizawa knew it except, he wasn't sure now that they had a long run and one of the people responsible for that was standing in front of a podium.

"But beyond allowing those heroes who failed, time to heal, we must do more! We must question why they are failing. We must question what has caused this, and then we must find a way to fix it.

"I already know why they are failing," Imoku said.

Aizawa jerked. That was a bold statement and the Representative said it so easily as if it was something that was truth.

"They are failing because we have let heroes become separate. We have let them go too far away from the norm," Imoku was saying. The crowd immediately before the podium was nodding in complete agreement. Aizawa felt his lip curl upwards in disgust. Groupies. Who knew a politician could have them as well?

"It is therefore time to bring heroes back into the fold," Imoku said sincerely. "It is time to reabsorb them into the existing structures of society."

The Pro-hero felt his eyes widen. He'd heard that suggestion before but it was from some kids. This was far more serious. For a moment he saw the future. Heroes were no more. They were policemen, firefighters and medics. They were still acting for the public good but there was so much more they could be doing. He shivered, reaching into his pocket.

There was a letter there. Aizawa had no idea how it had been delivered. It had just appeared in his notes on the case. With the signature it bore, he almost hadn't read it but curiosity was a good trait and he wanted to know. He wanted to know how the letter had gotten there and he wanted to know what the Yakuza named Overhaul had to say.

It was a brief missive. Aizawa could remember it word for word.

 _Shouta Aizawa, Pro-Hero Eraser Head. If you are reading this, then I'm dead but someone has to know and someone has to act. The League is more than they seem. They have hidden members. Representative Imoku Kakurete is one. He is their hidden, secret weapon. You will doubt. You will deny, but you will know in your heart it is true. All you need do is look at his actions and ask yourself if they serve society, or if they serve the League._

That was it. So brief but if true, it confirmed so much.

Even with all the research and stalking Aizawa had done, he couldn't find any link to the League but Overhaul was right. In his gut he couldn't deny it. Except he couldn't prove it!

And Heroes, even underground ones, couldn't act without proof.

His main supposed link was that Imoku Kakurete seemed to step out of thin air a few years ago. His public records were perfect, he had even paid taxes, but no one Aizawa spoke to could quite remember him. That just confirmed for Aizawa that Imoku had been someone else in the past… but he couldn't work out who. There was no missing persons report for anyone of the appropriate age, and physical description.

"I am not suggesting that we ignore all the years of training they have put into use their Quirks. I am not suggesting that we completely ignore the possibilities inherent in Quirks but I am saying that it is beyond time that Heroes were no longer separate. Too often have we seen tragedies caused by the perceived distance between heroes and others."

Aizawa had a bad feeling about whatever was to come.

"I'm sure everyone is aware of the Rescue Hero Team, Wild Wild PussyCats. Their standing in the rankings dropped dramatically, more than 400 places in one year. This was the result of one member being injured in such a way as they cannot recover."

Shouta grimaced. That was the nice way of saying 'had her quirk ripped out'. Ragdoll had gotten better but her Quirk was gone and the effectiveness of the Wild Wild PussyCat's had suffered.

"Hero training is too valuable resource to waste. And so now, the Wild Wild PussyCats have been integrated into other Rescue Forces. Not Hero forces, but to those who are often overlooked, those who work beside Hero forces in a disaster. Our Emergency Services.

"Thus, I believe it can be with all heroes. The distance can be destroyed. It will be better for society and better for the Heroes. They will be supported. The Wild Wild PussyCats were floundering until they realised there was support, but that support did not come from distance. Support came from inclusiveness.

"More recently, there is another example. The Pro-Hero Sir Nighteye was injured in a battle with the League of Villains."

Aizawa looked at Imoku. Was this politician going to bring up every failure Heroes had made in regards to the League? Or was there another link between the League and Imoku? Did they do it because Imoku told them too? Shouta shivered at that thought. Was he looking at the Leadership of the League? It wouldn't be the first time a politician had done something questionable in the pursuit of power… Though this was beyond questionable.

But there was no evidence… If Imoku really was in charge of the League then he was covering his tracks perfectly… Which was one reason Aizawa didn't think it was true, no matter how horrifying the thought was. Imoku just did not have the time to Lead the League! Though… there was still at least one League member unaccounted for. The one who appeared at the USJ. The one who had only watched.

No. The League wouldn't follow someone who didn't fight.

Imoku looked regretful, and there was a catch in his voice as if he felt personally sad at his words. He was a brilliant actor. "It is a tragedy what has happened to Sir Nighteye but with proper support, it wouldn't have happened."

Aizawa almost growled. The politician couldn't guarantee that… but then that wasn't what the world wanted to hear. Not what the public wanted to think. They wanted to believe that with enough preparation or support, all tragedies could be avoided.

"With proper support, from the Police, Sir Nighteye's team would have been able to handle the situation very differently, which would have led to a far better outcome, and young Mirio could have continued as a Hero. But now, he will be haunted by a a mission gone wrong for the rest of his life and that is the true tragedy.

"It is tragic, that we as a society, entrust so much to those who call Heroes, but then give them so little support.

"But that is changing. The Hero Public Safety Bureau has initiated assessments to ensure the mental health of all Heroes and those who live with them." Imoku shook his head. It was an odd gesture given the positivity of the statement. "Some will say that is enough! I say that is a bare minimum. It is what is done routinely for all our Police Officers after all! But because we persist in seeing heroes as different, as above us, we forget they are human. We forget that they have problems.

"That must stop and we must as a society move to protect them."

It took Aizawa a moment to recognise the small tendril of feeling that was coiling through his mind. Agreement.

Savagely he shook his head. He didn't agree! Imoku was an agent for the League! How could he agree?

The sharp movement brought attention and Shouta found himself staring directly into brilliant green eyes. They were intense

And then they moved on but despite the distance between them, the pro-hero could see the small smile playing around Imoku's lips. He'd been recognised and the politician took it as a challenge.

Something played at his mind. Something Nighteye had said. Beware the hidden one. Imoku's name. It meant hidden… hide actually, Aizawa's mind corrected fastidiously.

Was this the League's hidden one? Shouta looked back at the politician, he was still smiling. A shudder passed through the underground hero.

Even if Imoku was the League, what could he do?

-afop-

 _The public are beginning to make further demands to the Hero Public Safety Bureau about Hawks. The excuse that the Number One Hero is on a long term mission is wearing thin. Even those on missions can make public appearances. His sidekicks are also not making it easy. They look decidedly worried._

 _You'd think that the HPSB would train them better on how to act. Apparently hero school doesn't have good drama classes. It is something they should invest in. Hawks continues to cling to life with a tenacity I have seldom seen, though I imagine his continued life will soon bore Tomura._

 _In the meantime, Imoku asked to see Tomura. That was unusual. He's been adept at being distant, both for his protection and the League's though we are one and the same. Imoku recognises that everything will collapse if he gets embroiled in scandal. He's been meticulous in avoiding that. And the history Sensei's contacts made up for him include just a tiny bit of scandal but nothing serious. Merely the tom-foolery associated with high school._

 _It seemed safe enough. Imoku came at the time he was meant to be at dinner with Toga. She was left at the apartment. I brought him into the new… new bar. The looks from the League were interesting, especially with Tomura's greeting. The interest will blow over, especially as Dabi simply shared a wave with Imoku, implying that he was allowed here, before going back to his card game._

 _Endeavor's son has matured. When he first joined us, he was simply a punk. Arrogantly assured of the ascendancy of his quirk and abilities. He has grown. He has seen other possibilities. He is now aware of his shortcomings, and those of his team. He is becoming more competent, just as Tomura has matured. I think Sensei would be proud of the League. The vision he had is being fulfilled._

 _Imoku and Tomura spoke for a while. He wanted to know why Hawks and Overhaul were still alive. I could tell that much while they were speaking. Tomura had an evilly pleased smile on his face at the question. Anyone would have known what they were talking about from that expression. Then they moved on to other things. At least, that is what Tomura told me._

 _Tomura hasn't told me everything but he informed me that Imoku had asked permission for something. Shigaraki wouldn't say what. After Imoku left, he appeared pensive. It is not an expression one associates with Tomura. He was restless but thankfully the League has two who he could take his frustration out on. Hawks and Overhaul had not been faring well. That day was worse than usual._

 _When Tomura was still solemn the next day I asked what it was. He still didn't tell me. All he said was that Imoku assured him that it was information needed for the last push to destroy Hero society. It was an interesting dichotomy. Usually Tomura would have been all for that… but for some reason this was causing him trouble. All I could do was assure him that if Imoku said it was necessary, then it would be necessary._

 _I'm not sure it did anything but without further information, it was all I could do. I can only hope that Tomura is feeling the sort of melancholy that comes when you know you are close to the end. It isn't something I thought he would feel, though I have seen him experience it when playing a game he particularly likes, so perhaps it's not that unusual. He will have the fortitude to see this through to the end. I know that._

 _And that is all the League needs._

-afop-

Imoku looked up from his reading as the door to his office burst open. Two men he recognised strode in, following by his Personal Assistant who had a stricken expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Sir, they wouldn't wait!" Kenta apologised profusely.

"It's alright, Kenta," he dismissed the man. "I'll handle it," he added the reassurance. "Why don't you make some tea for my guests?"

Kenta retreated with a relieved look but was wise enough to know he wasn't quite out of the woods yet.

Imoku looked at the two men who had remained silent throughout the exchange. He gave them a winning smile. "May I help you, Gentlemen?" He got up and gestured towards the side of his office where there was a small lounge setting. It was meant for more casual discussions. He took one of the couches as the two men settled into the other one.

They were still silent. Imoku gave them another smile, recognising the tactic. They were trying to make him nervous. He let himself examine them.

Shouta Aizawa was much the same as he remembered from the last time he had seen the pro-hero. He was dressed casually but there was a hard look in his eyes that meant you could never mistake him for a civilian. He seemed confident but Imoku knew he'd much rather this confrontation be in some darkened back alley. He was that sort of man.

The other man was very familiar even if Imoku had only met him once before. The entire country knew who the man was. All Might in his true form. His eyes were bluer than Imoku remembered but he was thin. The rigors of Hero life clear to see upon his body. And the rigors of fighting with Sensei, Imoku couldn't help the thought.

"There have been several questions lately," Aizawa started.

"Questions?" Imoku asked with a raised eyebrow.

"About you," this time it was All Might.

Imoku shook his head, again recognising the tactic. They were going to try to keep him off guard by switching who was talking. Amateurs. "I suppose that isn't unusual," he replied coolly, "given my position and all."

Shouta gave him a thin smile. "It is more serious than just questions."

"This is the first I've heard of anything," he said honestly. They didn't know anything, Imoku realised. If they did, neither hero would be here to simply talk. They would have barged in to arrest him. This was a fishing trip. They were hoping to trip him up to gain some sort of hint, to get some sort of leverage.

"I find that odd, given your connections to the League of Villains."

He almost burst out laughing. He had connections, all right. "That is a very serious accusation," Imoku said flatly, letting them know he felt insulted but for the moment prepared to let them drive the conversation.

"It is, and it is a crime that carries quite a few penalties," All Might told him before falling silent as Kenta knocked.

Imoku's Executive Assistant entered, carrying a tray. The three men remained silent as Kenta brought the tray to the table, laying out three tea cups and a pot of tea. He then rose, gave a small bow and left.

Imoku leaned forward. "Would you like some tea?" he asked, picking up the pot, indicating towards the cups. Both heroes shook their head. His lips quirked and Izuku poured himself a cup, before setting the pot down. He picked up the cup and took a small sip to prove to them that it wasn't contaminated with either poison or some other concoction.

"That is a very serious accusation," Imoku repeated. "And I cannot help the belief that you have some false intelligence if you have truly come to that conclusion."

They were fishing for information but he could fish as well.

The two heroes shared a look.

"You won your position as a Representative in the wake of All Might's final fight with the man believed to have founded the League," Aizawa said. "You campaigned on the premise of finding a way to reduce villain related crime."

"Which I will tell you honestly, and in confidence, might have been a bit of a stretch, given my status as an independent," Imoku admitted taking another sip of tea.

He could see the way they reacted to that. They weren't sure what he meant.

"The thing is, you were the only politician ready to capitalise on my forced retirement," All Might said. "The introduction of the Heroes Must Be Heroes Bill was timed to perfection. Almost as if you knew what was going to happen."

Imoku opened his green eyes wide. "I had no idea," he growled, not bothering to hide the insult he felt. "And like the rest of the world I was horrified to see what happened!" Of course, he was horrified to see Sensei lose but Izuku understood now that it had been a necessary step. The man had contingencies for everything, to turn every event into something the League could benefit from, even his own defeat.

"Yet you did not stop. With the fall of Endeavor, the bill continued. It expanded to target Shouto. It was a very well timed amendment." There was a touch of admiration in Aizawa's voice.

"You credit me with too much," Imoku dismissed the underground proheroes words. "Though I am forced to question your motives. The HMBH Bill and its amendments, all of them, are designed to help Heroes. They are designed to ensure the continued mental health of heroes, and by extension, society. Or are you saying that heroes should be scarred by their work? That they should accept the pain and the heartache as some sort of price required to do their job?

"That is a barbaric thought and it is one I reject utterly!"

The two heroes looked horrified. Had they not thought about that? They must have, or where they horrified by one they thought of as a villain could be so eloquent in the protection of Heroes? Imoku didn't know but it was somewhat amusing.

"Heroes are trained to deal with the stress of the job," Aizawa said.

Imoku gave him a smile, one that clearly questioned his sanity. "With so many Heroes failing even the basic HPSB psyche assessments, I am forced to wonder how you can draw that conclusion, hmm?" He tilted his head to emphasis his question.

There was no real argument that could be made against that, not with the number of retirements there had been recently.

At least the prohero had the good taste to remain silent. "Not everyone who has become a hero recently has done so for the right reasons," All Might was forced to admit.

"And that has led to this," Imoku added on to the former Number One Hero's statement. "If this testing had of existed earlier, then maybe things would have been different, maybe more of those called heroes would truly be heroes."

All Might cleared his throat. "There have been some mistakes made," he admitted, looking down. "But you have led the Government in inflating the mistakes."

Imoku blinked at the Hero. "I fail to see how I could be leading the Government," he said. "I am an independent representative," he reminded the heroes.

"With an undocumented quirk," Aizawa snapped.

"Excuse me?" Imoku demanded, indignantly. He'd practiced the precise tone to ensure that the only hint of surprise in his voice was at the very suggestion, not because the suggestion was the truth.

"It took me awhile to understand what happened at your speech," the underground prohero said. "I found myself agreeing with you."

Imoku snorted. "And you think it was because of a quirk?" He shook his head. "More likely you agree with my stance, though you cannot professionally admit it."

"No, you were using a quirk. Something subtle. Something to make me agree."

"You are aware of my quirk, correct?" Imoku asked. He put his now empty tea cup down and raised one hand. "Spark," he said, allowing several sparks to burst from the tips of his fingers. It was a pretty display, almost like a sparkler. "That is my quirk," Imoku said. "It is not some sort of mind control quirk," he scoffed.

"Undocumented quirk," Aizawa repeated. "And as a member of the League, it wouldn't be too difficult to have that man give you a covering quirk," the underground hero said. "And you've been using it to get the public to agree and to get the Government to agree."

"You do know that all Representatives undergo routine scans?" Imoku asked.

"Scans?" Aizawa appeared confused for a moment.

"To ensure that we are not under the control of any quirk. To ensure that the decisions we make are _our_ decisions. So, all I can say is that you have a good imagination," Imoku sighed tiredly. "Perhaps you are in the wrong industry," he added. "I think though, it is an aspect of your concern," he continued, lowering his hand. Imoku allowed his eyes to meet Aizawa's. "I can understand that. Things are changing," he added. "And it is human nature to fear change. It is only natural, even for Heroes." He couldn't help but add the jab.

The underground hero glared at him but Imoku knew that he'd won the argument. They were hoping he'd become flustered at the mention of a second quirk. Did they really think Sensei had chosen so poorly? Or… more likely, they thought he was like Tomura. Heh… That made more sense and he was insulted all the more for the realisation.

"You are destroying the people's faith in Heroes," All Might said.

Imoku looked at the hero. He was much the same as he had been that time, though there was an air of tiredness about him that hadn't been there previously. "I prefer to think I am helping the system evolve to a changing need," he replied mildly.

"Allow me to tell you what I envisage," Imoku continued when neither Hero appeared to be willing to speak. "And you will see that change isn't that scary," he added. It was amusing to be treating them like children but if that's what it took, then he would do that. He shook his head. "You see, I truly believe that there has been a growing gulf between Heroes and the rest of society. It started with you, All Might," Imoku said.

"Me?" The man seemed surprised.

"You," Imoku confirmed. "You were too much of a hero." Interestingly Aizawa seemed to understand where Imoku was going with this. "Too perfect, too strong." He held up one hand before the hero could object. "It is only in hindsight can we see the problems that has caused. People became complacent. They began to see heroes in your image. They began to see heroes as perfect infallible beings.

"We both know that's not the case but that is what the people saw, and that was the beginning of the chasm and so now, when Heroes are being shown to be human, the pain is more. It is unfortunate but it is a consequence that we have to deal with." He sighed.

"The future will be better," Imoku said. "And I don't see a future where there is a gulf between heroes and the rest of society. I see heroes, those trained to use their quirks as being a part of society. An important part, because quirks are a strength humans should use but we can no longer allow Heroes to be considered separate. We can no longer allow them to be put on a pedestal, allowed to be thought of as somehow better."

"Did you once try to be a hero?" The question was sudden, and came from All Might.

"Did I once try to be a hero?" Imoku asked, confused.

"Yes," All Might nodded. "Is that where your resentment of heroes comes from?"

Imoku took a deep breath. "Once, long ago, I might have thought about it," he admitted. Almost every child thought about being a hero at some stage. It would be stupid if he completely denied the thought. "But then, it was actually a hero who taught me a valuable lesson," Imoku said, fixing his green eyes on All Might. The hero might remember Izuku but he would never link Izuku to Imoku, not with the years he had given to Sensei. Even so, Izuku couldn't help but take some satisfaction from his words.

"I was told, that without a suitable quirk, I should keep my dreams realistic. That I should aim only for what was achievable," he said. Imoku felt a sharp stab of gratification at the stricken words on All Might's face. Maybe he did remember Izuku. "So I turned to business, and then to politics. Far more mundane," Imoku joked, watching as All Might settled his expression again.

"So, in the future, I see those trained to use their quirks working with the police, as part of the police. Not as heroes, not separately, but as a part of the Police force, a special response unit or similar," he explained. That why their mental health will be fully monitored and they will always have the support of those who understand. Those who work as rescue heroes will be a part of the emergency services.

"There is no need for us to ignore quirks. In the right circumstance, they are very useful but it is a matter of ensuring that we use the right quirk at the right time. Integration may seem weird, but will be for the best in the long run."

Imoku gave the heroes a bright smile. They just looked back at him with hard eyes. Imoku's expression shifted, becoming more smug and his smile morphed into a smirk.

"An interesting vision," All Might eventually said in such a way as Imoku could hear what he really meant. _You won't get away with it._

He was reminded of Overhaul with Kurogiri's mist surrounding him screaming that he wouldn't win. Imoku gave All Might a look. He couldn't say it but he could feel it.

"I think we have taken enough time from the Representative," Aizawa said, rising.

All Might agreed.

"I do thank you for coming to me with your concerns, gentlemen," Imoku said. "I hope I've been able to allay those concerns," he added.

"I'm sure we will be seeing you again," All Might said.

Imoku nodded as he showed the two heroes to the door. "One day," he agreed and was pleased to see that Aizawa caught Imoku's true meaning.

The door closed and Imoku heard them talking to Kenta before the heroes voices disappeared. He walked back to the couch, collapsing on to it. "Kenta," Imoku yelled. "Cancel the rest of my appointments for today," he instructed, rubbing at his temples.

He didn't need a response from his Executive Assistant as he began to think.

The Heroes had their suspicions but they couldn't prove anything. Even so he would have to be careful when he met with Tomura. And… No, he'd need the League even after Heroes were gone. Some Heroes would become vigilantes and they would have to be dealt with since he couldn't expect any hero who integrated into the Police forces to actually do that job with any degree of effort.

A smile creased his features as he remembered All Might's expression when he suggested that dreams had to be kept realistic. Maybe the Hero did remember Izuku.

Too late though. It was far too late and he'd made his choice.

He was no longer Izuku Midoriya, a boy who idolised Heroes. He was Imoku Kakurete, the man who would save everyone, so that heroes were no longer necessary.

Heroes would be the last people he'd save.

But he would save them. From themselves.


	15. Things Kurogiri Doesn't Know 3

**Things Kurogiri Doesn't Know: Katsuki Bakugou**

"You will be given the opportunity to retest at the mid point of this year, and at the end of the year."

"What?"

Nothing sounded quite as outraged as an entitled sixteen year old.

"Do you understand?" Honoka asked evenly. She was not getting paid enough to deal with this crap.

"No! I do not accept it!" the brat snarled, slamming his hands down on the table. She could hear small explosions coming from his hands. Honoka realised it had something to do with his quirk.

"Young man, public use of your quirk is not permitted," she told him.

That got her a glare. "That's fucking nothing!"

She was definitely not being paid enough to deal with this.

"Language, young man," she warned.

"No! This is bullshit! It's some bullshit fucking test made up because some fucker whinged to their daddy 'cos they fucking couldn't keep up!"

Honoka fixed him with her own glare. "Young man, I assure you the Hero Public Safety Bureau is not influenced by someone crying to their father," she spat his words back at him. "The mental health assessment is an initiative from the Government to ensure the health and safety of those attempting to be heroes. It is for your benefit."

"It is fucking not!" Further explosions came from his hands.

"Young man, if you use your quirk one more time, I will recommend a suspension from UA until you can properly control your quirk, as it is unfortunate to see one so old have such poor control. Usually by the time any one turns five they can consciously control their quirk." Honoka schooled her expression into something neutral. Really, what was UA teaching if this sort of control was normal?

"You're not fucking UA."

"Young man, I am a member of the Hero Public Safety Bureau, and while we do not traditionally interfere with specific students, except when directed, I assure you, I do have that power."

It shouldn't have made her feel good but his spluttering was rather pleasing. There were no further explosions. At least she'd gotten that much through.

"Do you understand?" Honoka asked her earlier question.

"This is fucking bullshit!" he repeated.

"The assessment is for your own benefit, and you may retest. As you failed, this is not negotiable."

"I am the best fucking student UA has!" the teen slammed his hands into the table again.

"In grades, perhaps," Honoka allowed. "But you lack the appropriate mental attitude to become a hero. You lack humility, compassion and from your display today, I can only judge that the assessments were implemented just in time! You would be…" she shook her head.

This boy was one of the most unsuited to being a hero that she had ever seen. It was as if no one had ever told him no! Well, thankfully the HPSB had that power and even though she wasn't being paid enough to deal with this sort of thing, it was just as well she was.

"I'll fucking appeal this."

Honoka smiled. It was slightly vicious. "There is no appeal," she told him.

"What?" There were explosions again. "That's fucking insane."

"In due course, you may retest," she told him. "Thought before that I would advise that you seek help."

He glared.

"You are dismissed," Honoka added, raising one hand and making a small shooing motion. It was a petty revenge but she wasn't being paid to deal with this shit!

-afop-

"These are the results?"

"Yes, Representative Kakurete," Honoka nodded nervously. She was paying particular attention to her breathing. She hadn't expected to have to present the results of the assessment to one of the Members of the House of Representatives!

"Just relax," the Representative murmured as he looked at the papers.

Honoka flushed. She wasn't aware her nerves were showing that much. She forced herself to take a deep breath. It made some sense, Honoka supposed. The HPSB assessments were new, and Representative Imoku Kakurete had been behind the initial legislation, so of course he would be interested.

She was surprised when he hissed. "Oh dear," he muttered.

Honoka looked over. She couldn't tell what record he was on but was surprised when he looked up. His eyes were a rich green, she noted. That didn't come out in publicity photos.

"Did you have any problems?"

"Sir?"

"Did you have any problems when you informed the students?"

Oh, she understood now. Since it was the first time the assessment had been performed, it had been deemed that each student who failed should be informed personally. That way their options could be explained in detail and any questions they had be dealt with. It was a lot of work but it was the first time and setting these things up often took more work to make it smoother for the future.

She winced at the member. "There were several who were disappointed," she told him diplomatically.

His expression changed to display exaggerated patience. "Just disappointed?" he asked pointedly.

Honoka took another deep breath. "May I speak in confidence, Representative Kakurete?"

The Representative closed his eyes briefly, and put the papers down. "Honoka," he said seriously. "I represent my electorate. I am here to promote their interests, which means I have to know their interests. That means they have to tell me, and even if they go against my desires, I will represent them. As such, I expect you to tell me the truth. You will not be punished for it," he assured her.

She nodded, feeling reassured. Imoku Kakurete was an independent. He didn't listen to the party line. "There were several who seemed to expect the results and who, I feel, will in time mature and be able to rejoin their Hero Course but there were others who were…" She fished for the right word. "Difficult," Honoka concluded.

He nodded sympathetically. "That is disappointing, but unfortunately not unexpected," he told her. "You did well to meet with them, and I will see that you are rewarded for that difficult task."

"That's not necessary, Sir. I was just doing my job!" She was just doing her job, and sometimes that meant doing difficult things.

"You deserve it," Imoku pressed.

Honoka gulped. "Thank you, Sir!" She knew when to quit when she was ahead.

"Then I thank you for a job well done," he said.

Honoka nodded and rose, giving the Representative a small bow before she left.

-afop-

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Juro Abe said as he came into the office.

Imoku looked up at the man. He was the current Chair of the Hero Public Safety Commission's committee.

"I did," Imoku said. "You've seen these?" He asked, holding up the papers Honoka had delivered earlier.

Juro winced. "Yes." He seated himself at Imoku's desk, looking over at the Representative. The desk was surprisingly clean. There was a name badge, and a leather inlay for writing and some sort of ornament but apart from that, the desk was clean. A tablet lay to Imoku's side but the screen was blank. Juro knew there was probably an inbuilt keyboard somewhere.

"They aren't good reading, are they?"

"Not at all, Sir," Juro agreed. The mental health assessments of the Hero Students was not good reading. They didn't have the actual assessments, just the over all results, and the summary notes about each individual. That maintained privacy while giving the HPSB a background on the reason the individual either passed or failed.

"I am particularly worried about this one," Imoku said, sliding a paper over his desk.

Juro picked it up, his eyes immediately going for the name. Katsuki Bakugou. He knew that name. The boy had placed first on UA's entrance exam and at the Sport's Festival but… His assessment highlighted anger and arrogance as being two very large problems. It was interesting, that despite the anger and arrogance, Katsuku had done very well on some of the other parts of the assessment.

"From what I understand," Juro said after a moment, "this Bakugou boy will need some serious anger management therapy. Assuming he can get a handle on his anger, he will then be able to retest and should pass."

"That's what worries me," Imoku said delicately.

"Sir?" Juro frowned.

"There is no question that this Katsuki Bakugou is both academically and physically skilled. And he has been blessed with a powerful quirk," Imoku explained. That conclusion was very clear. Katsuki was not the number one in his class but he was in the top five, though physically he was vying for the number one position. He truly did understand what it took to be a hero, at least in a physical matter. Mentally, there were problems there. "But it is the very nature of that quirk which bothers me."

Juro looked at the page, reading the description. Explosions from nitroglicerin sweat.

"Quick and flashy," Imoku said.

Juro nodded his understanding. That was a reasonable conclusion. Quirks didn't define the personality but they could influence it.

"As I said Sir, he will need some serious anger management therapy," Juro repeated carefully, feeling out what the Representative wanted.

"I think it might take more than that," Imoku said. "I want you to look into his past, specifically his middle school history," he added.

"You know something?" Juro asked, putting the paper back on the Representative's desk.

"I suspect," Imoku told him. "You know my stance on Quirkless people?"

"Ah, yes Sir." The Representative had made his stance very clear, and went so far as to only hire quirkless people. He had received quite a large swell of public support for the initiative. Juro was actually thankful for it. His cousin was quirkless and had now managed to find a job, not with one of Kakurete's companies, but with others who realised they were missing out on a resource. It made a lot of sense. Twenty percent of the population was quirkless! One in every five people! That was a lot of votes. It was a lot of labour to just be ignoring.

"One of the stories I've heard actually relates to Katsuki Bakugou."

Juro blinked. "There are always stories, Sir," he said tactfully. He could imagine what some of them said though.

Imoku nodded. "I know, which is why I am asking you to investigate. And then-" the Representative paused.

"And then, Sir?"

Green eyes lanced into him. Juro shivered and he felt like he was drowning in them. "If you do find something, Juro, I would take it as a personal favour if you ensured that Katsuki Bakugou never passes a reassessment."

"You want me to rig his results?" Juro breathed but then it felt like he had no breath, his lungs were constricted somehow by bands of steel around his chest. He stared into the Representative's eyes.

"I want you to make a judgement based on what you find," Imoku corrected meticulously.

"Sir, I ca-" Juro stopped when Imoku raised one hand. He felt that he had to.

"I trust you will make the right decision, given the evidence," the Representative said gently.

Juro swallowed. It was not quite a threat but… he recognised the power the Representative had, even as an independent. "I will make a decision given the evidence," he said.

"Very good," Imoku smiled.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Sir," Juro said as he rose.

"Merely doing my duty."

Juro nodded and left the office. He managed to make it back to his own office before he collapsed, breathing hard. Imoku Kakurete was … Dealing with the Prime Minister was easier! Or the budgeting committee… or the temperamental heroes!

But… he pulled up the file on Katsuki Bakugou, re-reading the information. Juro couldn't help but think that Representative Kakurete knew something and it was something about this Katsuki. He almost didn't want to know what because as much as he couldn't rig the assessment results, he had an awful feeling once he knew what the Representative knew, he'd want to.

He wasn't sure he'd be able to stop.

-afop-

"You!"

Imoku turned at the shout. So did the group with him. The word had been spat by a teen. He had messy blond hair and his eyes were wide and fanatical. The group with Imoku took a step back while the Representative just looked on.

He'd always remember that face. Kac- Katsuki Bakugou. And it looked as if life hadn't been kind to his childhood friend.

"May I help you, young man?" Imoku said. He almost burst out laughing when he said the words.

Katsuki's face flashed in anger. Imoku could see the rage there. In the past he would have quailed, now he just waved off his bodyguards. He usually didn't bother with them but at these rally's they were useful.

"It's fucking your fault!" Bakugou screamed at him.

"My fault?" Imoku questioned in confusion. Inwardly he was laughing. Oh it was his fault, all right, in so many more ways than Katsuki knew.

"You are the one fucking responsible for those fucking assessments!" There were small explosions coming off Katsuki's palms.

"You mean the mental health assessment for heroic potential?"

"Yes, you bastard!"

"You may retest," Imoku said.

"No, I can't, you moron!" Bakugou screamed. "It's your stupid fucking test! It has no benefit!"

"My boy," Imoku said, knowing that the pleasantry would only infuriate Bakugou further. "The assessment is for your benefit, to ensure your mental stability." Imoku could tell the group around him didn't think the boy was stable at all.

He had caught the fact that Bakugou said he couldn't re-test. It was amusing. That must mean Katsuki had either taken his retests or… Juro had actually listened to him. Either option was perfect. This was an unexpected opportunity. He had been content to just forget Kac- Katsuki but since he was here… Izuku would indulge himself. After all, some things required the personal touch.

"No! It's your fucking way of lowering the fucking bar! The fucking pansy's couldn't handle it! You fucking quirkless lover!" With the last, Katsuki leapt towards him, hands already bursting with explosions. He roared and then he faltered, looking at his hands. "What?"

Sensei had given Imoku the quirk Spark. Imoku had only ever shown anyone a pretty display of sparks, like a sparkler but he had practiced with it until he had absolute control. Katsuki Bakugou's quirk relied on making small sparks in his hand that ignited his sweat. He couldn't create explosions with Imoku suppressing the sparks.

"Using your quirk in public is very dangerous," Imoku scolded.

"You bastard!" Bakugou screamed.

Imoku gave him a smile. No one ever said Katsuki was slow. He'd figured out that he'd done something. "I'll get you!" He charged again.

Again, Imoku waved off his bodyguards before he moved, intercepting Bakugou. The boy had trained, but Imoku had matured and trained. He was no longer Izuku, no longer the small boy Katsuki had known. As an adult he had greater reach and that was enough. He caught Bakugou's shirt, and pulled. The extra momentum made Katsuki lose his balance.

Imoku supported him and leaned forward so that his mouth was at Bakugou's ear. Imoku continued suppressing Bakugou's explosions. "If you want to be a hero that badly, there's a quick way to do it," he whispered.

Bakugou froze. He became stiff. Imoku smirked, his expression hidden by his position close to Katsuki. "Believe that you'll be born with a better attitude in your next life, and take a last chance dive off the roof," Izuku finished, releasing Katsuki as he took a step back.

The boy collapsed. His red eyes were wide, and stared into the distance. He remembered those words.

Imoku looked down at him for a moment before he moved on.

"You-"

Imoku heard Katsuki's cry. He looked back, allowing his eyes to meet Bakugo's. There was a flash of recognition before confusion covered the teen's face. There was so much more Imoku wanted to say but it was best left between them. He nodded once, giving Katsuki a smug smile before he turned away, dismissing his old friend who was now looking at his hands, tears streaming from his face.

It was pathetic really, if Bakugou still couldn't face reality. Imoku chuckled. Which of the extra's had said that? It didn't matter. He'd remember the feeling of Katsuki collapsing under his grip for a long time to come.

It was so nice when things just worked out.


	16. Part 1: Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 _Tomura is not one to replay a game. Nor is he one to go easy when he does play. Thus I was slightly surprised that both Hawks and Overhaul survived as long as they did. I suppose that is testament to their desires rather than Tomura's. Once finished with them, the League dumped both bodies._

 _We are not so crude as to display them, as some might have. They were just dumped, though there was also no hiding the extent of their injuries. They were left where the police would find them. We are villains, not complete monsters and it would not do for a civilian to find them._

 _The police did find the bodies but they couldn't keep the news from the media. The public exploded. Most did not care about Overhaul. They cared about Hawks. It had been noticed that the Number One Hero had not been seen. The Hero Public Safety Bureau's story was weak and was based on the assumption that Hawks had continued with their infiltration plan. It relied on the League being ignorant, trusting and uninformed._

 _We are none of those things. Villains who have those weaknesses do not survive long._

 _With the fall of Hawks, the League took out another Number One Hero. It was getting to be our thing, especially since we hadn't lost that many, and those we had lost, the Heroes knew we'd replaced._

 _All Might. Taken down by Sensei. Their final battle has gone down in history as the embodiment of good versus evil. Society is so predictable that way._

 _Endeavor. Taken out by his Son. It wasn't even a battle, more the opening of eyes to the evils the hero perpetuated._

 _Hawks. Taken out by the League. By Izuku really, though the League are the ones who fought. It was inevitable that the winged hero would fall._

 _On some of the more morbid public forums there was betting as to how long Best Jeanist would last until the League took him out._

 _We wouldn't need to. The world was changing. Imoku reported that he had been confronted by Eraser Head and All Might's husk of a body. He assured Tomura that everything was in hand. Usually I would doubt such a thing but this is Imoku. I know I can trust him. If things are in hand, then things are in hand and progressing as they are meant to._

 _I doubt the heroes have such certainty. And the fall of another Number One hero sends an unmistakable message from the League to the world. We aren't going away, and no amount of effort from the Heroes can dislodge us._

 _It is now time for things to come to an end, for the League's goal to be achieved._

 _It is time for the Heroes to fall._

-afop-

"This is unacceptable!" Deputy Prime Minister Kiyoshi Takenaka slammed one hand on the table as he glared at those sitting there. Paper's jumped into the air before fluttering back down.

The Committee of the Hero Public Safety Bureau just looked at him. The men and women were expressionless. They were counted as civilians. They were not heroes, or even ex-heroes but they were politicians and they recognised that the Deputy Prime Minister out ranked them. There was a small group assembled behind him, including the Minister for Heroes, Yumiko Yamashita, who was technically their boss. She looked miserable and refused to met their eyes.

"Sir, with due respect, what is unacceptable?" One of the braver members of the Committee asked.

"This!" Kiyoshi snapped, gripping the papers and holding them up.

The Committee squinted but couldn't make out what was on them.

"This is the result of an investigation one of the junior members of the House of Representatives has initiated."

The listening Committee didn't say anything. Those who were more astute, nodded slightly now understanding why the Independent Member of the House of Representatives, Imoku Kakurete was standing with the other Government officials. It was his investigation.

"It explains in horrifying detail exactly how the so called Leader of the League of Villains, one Tomura Shigaraki became the murderous bastard he is today."

The Committee didn't know how to react to that. The Heroes had been chasing after the League of Villains since they appeared but it seemed as if every encounter things just got worse for them. From the USJ, to the kidnapping of a UA student, through to the attacks by the mindless beasts the League kept to the toppling of the Number One Ranked Pro-Heroes. The League appeared to be ahead of the Heroes at every turn.

They were too well informed.

"And you know, after reading it, I honestly can't say that I blame Tomura," Kiyoshi said. It was something he'd never admit in public.

"Sir?"

The Committee didn't know what was written in the investigation.

"Every single way Tomura was failed by the system," Kiyoshi said, flicking the papers on the table, to allow the Committee to pick them up.

There was silence as the Committee read the documents.

"This is preposterous!" One of the Committee Members exclaimed. She obviously read faster than the others. "You cannot blame everything that has gone wrong in that nutjob's life on us!"

"Not everything," the Deputy Prime Minister allowed. "But at every important juncture, every time when he could have been turned from Villainy, Heroes failed."

"We have not!"

"With respect, Madam," Imoku stepped forward. "I do not believe Deputy Prime Minister Takenaka is saying that every hero has failed. Nor is his saying that the HPSB has failed but there have been opportunities where the system failed."

"You!" One of the others said.

Imoku understood the question. "I commissioned the investigation because I was curious to know how a man becomes that," he said the last with some distaste. "No one grows up wanting to be a villain after all, so how did Tomura Shigaraki become that. That's what I wanted to know." He took a deep breath for effect. "But it is not just Tomura Shigaraki, it is also Kai Chisakai, Chizome Akaguro, Teruo Hazukashi, Oji Harima, Shin Nemoto… I could go on."

"Who the hell are they?"

"That's the point," the Deputy Prime Minister said. "They are people. They are people society calls villains because that is a convenient tag. They've all been failed by the system. For those who the system saves, those who the system lifts up, there are those it crushes, those who the system forgets. Since the advent of the hero age, we have seen villain after villain, tragedy after tragedy.

"They should not be normal but yet, somehow we have normalised it all under the name of villainy."

The Deputy Prime Minister took a deep breath.

"Sir, that is why we need heroes," one of the Committee Member's said. "Heroes are the only ones authorised to deal with quirk related crimes."

Kiyoshi snorted. "Because everyone who uses their quirk in public is somehow a villain," he said sarcastically. "No, I don't accept it. The government doesn't accept it, and we both know full well that most of those called villains are not. They are simply criminals, those who have lost their way. We call them villains to maintain the image of heroes.

"And we have had to work darn hard to maintain the image of heroes," the Deputy Prime Minister snorted. "How many deaths have we had to cover up?" He demanded.

"None sir."

"Shut up," Kiyoshi snapped, ignoring the speaker. "How many have been killed by hero related efforts which we have just conveniently blamed on the villain?" he reiterated his question, giving it more context.

Understanding crossed the features of the Committee. They were not stupid. They knew how in taking down some villains, collateral damage included injuries, and sometimes the deaths of those caught in the crossfire. The deaths were always blamed on the villain because after all, if the villain hadn't acted in the first place, then how could the hero be guilty of something that happened in their apprehension.

"Then how will we deal with quirk related crime?"

"The same way as we deal with non-quirk related crime," Kiyoshi was quick to reply. "In making the distinction we somehow say that those who use their quirks are either more or less than human. We forget that they are human. The system feeds villainy, so instead of being trapped in a self perpetuating loop, we are going to do better."

As a group the Committee looked miserable. The Minister for Heroes just hung her head. She felt some vindication. She had been telling them to deal with the League for months… years even and this was because of their inability. Imoku's report was just the final straw.

"In two days time, the government will be holding a conscience vote. The question will be if we continue the current system, the system that churns out villain after villain, that turns those who could have been heroes into one of the most hardened criminals we know, or if we should move on to something better, something stronger. I know which way the government will be voting," Kiyoshi said, even though technically a vote of conscience allowed all to vote according to their personal feelings.

"Sir, you can't!"

"We can," Kiyoshi replied, "and the reason is in your hands," he added, picking up the front page of the report. "Tomura Shigaraki, true name, Tenko Shimura, grandson of Nana Shimura." He didn't read further. He didn't need to. They recognised the name of the woman.

She had been a hero who had fallen before All Might's debut but she was still remembered. She was one of the best. All Might had taken up her mantle.

"This is a boy who should have been a child of the system, instead, he has rejected the system, who has become the bane of the system. And he's not the only one. The system is broken and it is beyond time it was fixed. You can either be part of that fix, or you can be forgotten."

Imoku hid a smile at that. The Committee were public servants, being forgotten, being deemed irrelevant was being fired.

"Heroes will be integrated into society. They can join the military, the police, the emergency services. They can apply for Quirk Usage permits to help with other jobs but they will no longer be special. They will not longer be apart. Society can no longer support that distinction."

"Then how will we deal with the League?" The question was asked timidly. Personally Izuku was disappointed at that. So far it was the most pointed question relating to the situation. He had thought on the League as well though his solution was far different than the governments.

"They will be dealt with. If we have to bring in the military, then we will, but they will be dealt with," Kiyoshi assured them before he sighed. "This is a failure of the system, so we will fix the system. It will be difficult but in the long run, it will be worth it.

"That is what I believe," he said firmly, before looking around the room. :"And that is the message you will give your people going forward," he ordered.

Because that was what the government wanted, and what the government wanted ,the government got. Even over the backs of heroes.

-afop-

 _The end came without fanfare. Most expect the achievement of their goals to come in the aftermath of combat. For us it was nothing like that. The League didn't even know about it until Imoku told us. The government had voted. Heroes were to be integrated back into society. They were no more._

 _Of course, it was not quite that simple. They would exist for a while yet. Integration would take time but the League has won. It is an interesting feeling. One of relief yet one of sorrow. It leaves one at a loss. Imoku has requested to visit us. Tomura agrees. I'm not sure what he wants but probably to tie up a few loose ends._

 _I can already see the future. Those we call heroes will be integrated into existing structures. The Police, the Military and Emergency Services. I'm sure some were better suited for them anyway. I am equally sure that some heroes will resist the change._

 _That's what is amusing me at the moment. Heroes have always played by the rules but now those very rules favour us! There will be vigilantes. Those heroes who do not want to give it all up. They will be hunted by those heroes who do integrate. The battles will be interesting. It is always fun to see former friends fighting each other, when they are not your former friends._

 _I suspect others will retire, seeking entirely new jobs. Some of their quirks are more suited to other industries after all. I'm interested to see what the students do, those who passed the assessments. There are those amongst them who truly want to be heroes to help people. That has now been torn away. I wonder what they will do, how they will adapt. I wonder what schooling will be put in place for them to help them change._

 _It is not my concern but it is all interesting. The change from one regime to another is never without pain. This change has been smooth, because we have managed it, but I expect there will be issues we don't know about._

 _The League is one thing. With our goal achieved, what are we to do now? What will come of those charges that have been laid against us? As far as I know we all have charges laid against us in absentia. For the moment, I guess it means we must be careful but this is the beginning of the end. It is the beginning of the change we desired._

 _We can only look forward now._

-afop-

Imoku looked around the bar with a sense of nostalgia. It seemed the League gravitated towards bars as their norm. It wasn't the first time he'd been here but it was the first time he had had the time to look around.

Kurogiri was behind the bar, wiping a glass. Tomura was sitting in a darkened corner, and Dabi and a few others were present.

"Izuku!" Toga cried cheerfully when she saw him.

"Himiko," he chided her.

"Oops!" She said but didn't sound very regretful. "Only in private," Toga told him in a sing song voice one that implied she could recite that phrase from many, many memories. She laughed and flicked her knives away, sheathing them under her uniform.

"Only in private," Imoku repeated with a smile.

Dabi laughed at the interaction.

"Imoku, my man, what brings you here?" the fire villain asked.

Imoku smiled. "A bit of this, a bit of that."

"The vote?" Endeavor's son pressed.

"The vote," Imoku confirmed, looking at Tomura.

Tomura only had a few hands on him today, and none covered his face. "You've done well, Imoku," he told the politician.

"Sensei expected it," Imoku replied with a shrug.

Kurogiri poured a beer, and slid it over the counter toward Izuku. He picked it up, turning to lean against the bar as he drank deeply. "Gah!" Izuku breathed deeply. "Your beer is the best, Kurogiri!" He said.

The rest of the League knew better than to make any quip about the quality of the beer. They all wanted to maintain their drinking rights.

"Have there been challenges?" Kurogiri asked. The vote might have been taken but a counter vote was always a possibility.

"There are always challenges, Kurogiri, but nothing that can't be overcome." There was a note in Imoku's voice that spoke of the future.

Kurogiri could tell that Tomura picked it up as well by the way the League's leader shifted slightly. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

"Exactly what I said, Tomura," Imoku told him. "There are always challenges."

"But it's over!" Tomura objected. "We've won."

Izuku cocked his head at Tomura. Kurogiri recognised the gesture from years ago, when they were both learning from Sensei. "Is that what you believe?" Imoku asked Tomura.

"Of course!" he declared. "The heroes are gone! They can't attack us. They can't do anything against us! It's time we went out there to show that we have won," he growled.

Imoku shook his head. "Not yet," he said gently.

"What do you mean, not yet?" Tomura growled. It was only because he had experience with Imoku that he even bothered to ask.

"Exactly what it sounds like," Imoku said. "You go out there now and you could jeopardize everything!"

Tomura snorted. "You don't know that and you forget your place! You are meant to serve me! You are meant to do what I tell you to. I'm not meant to do what you tell me to!"

Kurogiri picked up a new glass to clean. He had a feeling this argument had been building for a while and he had seen parts of it earlier. Years back. Izuku had even said it. Sensei said it as well. Tomura was to inherit everything and Izuku was a part of that everything. Izuku had said that too. But Imoku was his own man, and he had a different role to fulfil. Toga pulled out a knife as she watched. She began cleaning her fingernails with it, flicking invisible dirt on to the bar floor.

"I was put in place to ensure that the League wins," Imoku countered. "And sometimes that means restraint."

"But it's over!" Tomura objected.

Izuku sighed heavily. "You can't believe that," he said, his voice disbelieving.

"It is over," Tomura repeated, rising from his seat. "We've won."

"This isn't a game," Izuku countered. "There is no last level. No final boss," he used the terminology. "And there is no final victory."

Kurogiri blinked wondering what Izuku meant. From the looks on the faces of the other members of the League they were wondering that as well. But Izuku had a point. This wasn't a game and maybe Tomura was thinking of it like that. He had probably not thought what happened next.

Imoku obviously had.

He looked at Sensei's two students, nodding to himself.

"We have won," Tomura repeated, as if he was speaking to a small child.

"And if you go out now, the vote will be meaningless. The vote will be overturned," Imoku said.

"Then make it stick!"

"It's not that simple."

"Tomura…" Dabi said.

"Shut up!" The Leader of the League growled as he stalked towards Imoku.

"It's not that simple," Imoku repeated.

"Don't!" Tomura growled. "Don't you dare use your quirk on me!" He shouted.

"I wouldn't do that, Tomura," Imoku said.

"Bullshit! You'd use it. You have used it, you just don't think I noticed. Well I have!"

For a moment Kurogiri didn't think it was possible, Izuku's quirk was Spark, then he saw Izuku's smile and he was reminded that Sensei had said he had given the boy two quirks. One was sparks and the other… He didn't know what the other was. But some sort of persuasion quirk did seem likely given the information he had on hand.

Izuku put his glass of beer back on the bar as he leaned into it, resting both elbows on the counter. He looked up at Tomura confidently. "Given the outcome, you know it was necessary."

"No more," Tomura barked.

"No more," Imoku agreed easily. "But, you can't go out now," his voice was firm.

"I don't obey you."

"Yeah, that's the problem," Izuku muttered.

For a moment Tomura froze, then he spluttered.

"We've gotten so far, because I've kept you on track," Imoku continued provoking Tomura.

Kurogiri felt he should say something but he couldn't really think of anything. This was between them.

"All you have to do now for total victory is lay low for a little."

"All we have to do is obey you?" Tomura rephrased it.

"If you want to think of it like that," Izuku shrugged.

The bartender knew that was the wrong thing to say. He suspected Izuku knew as well but the boy was intent on provoking Tomura today. There was something else going on here.

"I do not obey you!" Tomura snapped. "The League does not obey you," he continued, ignoring the amused look Izuku was giving him. "And you will either agree to obey me or you won't leave," Tomura threatened. He held out his hand. Imoku knew very well what his quirk did and spark or some other quirk was not going to protect him from Tomura's decay.

Kurogiri blinked before he nodded to himself again. He should have been expecting this. Toga snorted a bark of laughter. She was watching intently, as were the others of the League. Most didn't know who Imoku was. His suit was not normal attire for the bar but his ease with Toga, Dabi and Kurogiri convinced them that he should be here.

Arguing with Tomura only went further to assuring them that Imoku, whoever he was, had every right to be here.

Izuku looked at Tomura. "No," he said clearly. "I think it's time to acknowledge which of us has really made an impact here."

Unseen Kurogiri winced and prepared a warp gate as Tomura screamed in rage and lunged at Izuku. He never got the chance to use it. He'd prepared it for the wrong person. Toga was faster. He hadn't seen her move but the girl had obviously been waiting for her chance.

She slid forward, her knife flashing, then blood gushed and the smell of it filled the bar.

Tomura screamed again. This time in agony.

It took Kurogiri a moment to see why. He was clutching his arm, at the stump. The hand he had extended towards Izuku was on the floor. "You bastard!" Tomura roared. He lashed out at Toga.

Again she slid out of his way. That wasn't like her. She wasn't that fast. Kurogiri was too surprised to act as she drew a second knife. Her face was split into a homicidal grin. "You aren't going to touch my little Izuku!" She told Tomura.

He snarled and lunged again at Izuku. Himiko was faster and she slashed her knife in quickly. There was a soft thump and Tomura's other hand fell to the ground. It was brutal but Toga was like that. He reeled back, tucking the stump of both arms into his armpits as Himiko moved. She put her knife to his throat, pulling him down to his knees, ignoring the blood.

"You bastard," Tomura spat, his eyes fixed on Izuku.

Kurogiri could see betrayal in that gaze but he could also see questions. Tomura was questioning why he wasn't stepping in. Truthfully Kurogiri didn't know either.

"You look so much better covered in blood, Izuku!" Toga purred.

"Just so long as it's not my blood," Imoku told her gently, taking out a handkerchief and wiping at his face. The blood had managed to splatter over his no doubt very expensive suit.

"Ow! Izuku!" Himiko groused but she appeared happy.

Izuku looked at Tomura who was glaring up at him. He sighed. "I guess, it was always going to come to this," he murmured.

Kurogiri was reminded of his previous thought. The argument had been building for a while, though he had been naive. It was never going to be between the two of them. It involved the entire League except… Himiko had obviously chosen her side. The others weren't sure. They were shifting but in a way that spoke of their confusion. Except the longer they took to make their decision, the more the decision was made for them.

"You don't have the guts to go through with this!" Tomura proclaimed.

"Oh, I think you will find I do," Izuku said, nodding at Himiko.

She wasted no time. One cut, ear to ear. And that was the end of Tomura.

Izuku picked up his beer and saluted the bleeding body before he down the last of the amber liquid.

"And that, is the end of that," he said when Tomura stilled. Izuku looked around the bar, meeting each of the League member's eyes. He lingered on Dabi and the fire villain just rolled his eyes before giving the politician a nod. Imoku smirked, before he turned to look at Kurogiri.

The bartender sighed. He looked at Izuku, and the body of Tomura. He should feel something more but… He had seen this before. He had seen this all through his career as a villain but never quite at this level. But then… who would think to even attempt to take out Sensei?

This was inevitable as soon as Sensei brought Izuku here. As soon as Izuku and Tomura both had positions of power. Perhaps it was what Sensei wanted. Perhaps this is what Sensei meant when he said that Imoku's path was possibly more important… The man covered every angle but this was not an angle that could be discussed.

And while Tomura had lead the League, Izuku had lead others to embrace the new reality. They were both leaders and the League could not afford two.

No, they'd never really had two leaders. There had always been one, just that he chose to remain hidden. Kurogiri thought back. Izuku had made the suggestions Tomura followed. Izuku had kept Tomura diverted with Overhaul, with the news of Hawks… Izuku had controlled everything and at the point when Tomura thought he had the upper hand, Izuku displayed his. He'd granted Tomura the illusion of victory, had given him that much but he was right. Now was the time for strength, and restraint.

Something Tomura didn't have.

"Sensei covers every angle," Kurogiri told Izuku. That was really the only thing he could say. He hadn't seen this coming but now that it had, he accepted it. There could never be two leaders of the League and … He no longer doubted Izuku. This was what Sensei wanted. He'd said it himself, Izuku had a different path than Shigaraki, but his path was just as important…

It was different until now, when it rejoined. And now it was the most important path.

The boy smiled at him. "That he does," he agreed. "That he does." He accepted another pint of beer and turned back to the League. "I meant what I said," he told them firmly, stepping into the role they were used to Tomura occupying. "Now is not the time to run wild. Now is the time to simply let events take their course. I will lead you through this change," Izuku promised. "And once settled, the League will emerge again, as the only power that matters. Until then, all you have to do is obey me, while I deal with the other loose end," he added ominously.

The League members shuddered but nodded.

Kurogiri looked the same as always but his mind was working on the logistics. Imoku would not stay with them. He would remain a Representative. But that wasn't too different from Sensei. There was enough time and… he nodded internally. That explained why Dabi was so quick to accept it. He'd probably been offered the acting leadership of the League. That would please him.

"To the League," Izuku toasted.

"To the League," the members replied. Dabi drank is beer. Himiko licked her knives and the rest drank what was on hand.

Izuku smiled. Sensei was right. It was all about power. And now he that he had the power, he could help so many. He'd be their hero. There'd be some losses, there always was. But he could not go back now.

"To the future," he added the toast.

Because now, in a future without heroes, he was free to act. And he would save the world.

 **-afop-**

How is that for a hostile take over?


	17. Part 1: Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"You've got a visitor." The guard's voice was unnecessarily loud.

All For One moved his head towards the door. It was all the movement he could get away with. He couldn't see anything, if he tried activating a quirk then… The sensors were too good, even if the quirk was passive, the sensors were all trained on him. All day, every day. They never rested. He sighed. "All Might again?" He thought he'd dealt with that one.

"No, someone else," the guard said and All For One heard the door open. That was a surprise. No visitor was allowed to actually get close to him. Even those tending to him didn't enter the same room. There were several taps implanted into his body and those who administered them weren't even in the same cell. The tubes went upwards, into the ceiling. They were above him. Separated. His cell was cleaned by drones.

For someone to actually come into his cell… That was interesting.

"Be polite," the guard warned.

"I'm always polite," All For One replied as he heard approaching footsteps.

"That's enough."

All For One stiffened imperceptibly. He knew that voice. It had been years since he'd heard it but he knew it.

"You can go now." The instruction was soft. All For One smiled. He could hear the power.

"But-" the Guard objected.

"It's okay, you can trust me," more power laced the tone. All For One heard the guard leave, and the door close.

"You've gotten good with that," All For One commented.

"You expected nothing less," came the relaxed reply.

He grinned. He had expected nothing less. He had gotten nothing less. "So why have you come?"

"Let's call it nostalgia," his guest said.

"Nostalgia?" All For One chuckled.

"It's as good a reason as any," came the reply.

"You've gotten far more bold."

"Necessity."

"True, and we both know that there won't be a record."

He couldn't see, but he could imagine the smug smile his guest gave him. "Of course not. I visited the facilities but I never visited you."

All For One nodded. He had taught this one well. And from the smug tone of voice, and their very presence here, he knew that things were going well. "Is everything achieved?"

"There's just one outstanding issue," the reply was smooth.

"Oh?"

His guest chuckled. "You always were so expressive, Sensei. I wonder what people would think if they knew I learnt all my oration skills from you?"

"You flatter me."

"Always, Sensei, always." His guest sighed. "You know, those years ago, on that roof, I would never have believed the world to be so fragile."

It was All For One's turn to laugh. "Society is only ever as strong as its foundations."

"And the foundation was crumbling."

He nodded slightly, aware that even if this record would be erased, he was still being monitored, so he couldn't move much.

"Then I drove a sledge hammer into those foundations."

"And look where it's gotten you."

"Oh, I am Sensei. _I am_ ," there was a touch of awe in his guest's voice. It reminded him of a child that was full of wonder, a child he had seen only in brief moments. A child who was gone.

He got the feeling that his guest had come to some sort of conclusion. "I guess I came today to thank you. While I doubt everything has gone quite as you envisaged, you were never one to stick to a plan when something else presented itself."

"Of course not," All For One agreed. "Besides, I left the world to my apprentices, when it was time for them to learn on their own."

"You did. I was upset about it at the time, but I see now it was for the best. Tomura couldn't have grown with you there. You gave him guidance, and then he took his own path. If you'd been there for longer, he would have been too predictable."

"And you," All For One said.

"And me," his guest sighed his agreement. "And me," he repeated. "Though I still have a ways to go."

"Hmm?"

"There are no heroes anymore, and correspondingly, there are no villains."

"You've done well. You've both done well," All For One praised his guest.

"Thank you. Though as I said, there is just one outstanding issue."

The tone was unexpectedly cold. All For One froze, and then he felt a slight burning from his arm. He jerked. The monitors beeped in warning.

"You are feeling it now, aren't you?" His guest questioned solicitously.

All For One grinned. He wasn't sure exactly what _it_ did, but he had a few thoughts. It wouldn't kill him. That would be too obvious, and his guest wouldn't risk that. It would be something else, something far more subtle. _He_ was the one outstanding issue but not for long. It made complete sense. To maintain the new status, there could be no risk of the original super villain returning.

"Oh, Izuku, my boy," All For One breathed, "you never cease to amaze me."

"Heroes aren't the only ones who are cruel," Izuku said and All For One heard him move away.

All For One recognised that line. He grinned, and then snorted before he laughed and laughed and laughed as something burned through his veins and the door opened to let Izuku out.

The future was in good hands.

 **-afop-**

End Part 1


	18. Part 2: Prologue (10 years later)

Well, I have gone with the continue the fic option. This is part 2 then, and is set about 10 years into the future. I've been a little vague on the exact time line and you will have to read to see how things have changed. :D

-afop-

 **Part 2 Prologue**

Warui Yatsu was not a nice man. He liked to hear women scream. He especially liked to hear women scream when his quirk… he cut short the thought. His barrister, a bitch of a woman who was defending him only because she knew it would look good for her, had told him again and again, that he could not make odd faces in court. His boss had told him that as well. And his boss was paying so he should listen to that.

Instead, Warui sat and kept his expression clear. Court was a formality. Not that he thought he'd be avoiding a sentence. That was also coming but it would be a far more lenient sentence than what someone would usually get. It always had been in the past.

He knew that, because Warui was a member of the League of Villains. Sure, he wasn't one of the big wigs, like Dabi, or Toga or Mustard, but he was a member. Not card carrying. They didn't have cards. But being a member gave him certain protections, and they were showing now. His barrister might be doing the job because it would look good on her resume, but that's what she was telling herself. She was doing it because Kasen had dirt on her and Kasen reported to Dabi, and Dabi had said that he should be defended.

That's how it worked. Though Dabi had called him once, while he was in remand. He'd told him something odd, but comforting. 'You might not even get a prison sentence this time,' Dabi had said. 'The boss has pulled some strings.'

That had been a surprise. It made Warui feel invincible. The _boss!_ He wasn't a fool. He knew Dabi and the other big names in the League had a boss. He just had no idea who it was. No one did. Dabi and the others did, but they didn't spill. But if the boss had taken a personal interest then… everything would be okay

He just had to sit here with a clear face.

He could wonder later what his barrister would look like, under him, as his quirk held her down. He might even be able to find out! He could wonder what the Judge would look like naked, shaking in fear as he approached her. Except… no. She was dumpy and old and he wouldn't debase himself that much, not even for her expression. Warui glanced over at the prosecution. The man looked confident.

He resisted the urge to snort. Of course the man looked confident. Warui knew his history. He gave a small smile. The prosecution was going to lose this case. Such a pity. He'd have to learn that in this world there were winners and losers, and it was best if you associated with winners. The barrister would learn.

Except…

Warui knew how to read men. Dabi expected it. You had to know who could go the distance with the fights, or who was there to cause trouble. Warui dealt with those who caused trouble. His quirk restrained them and then something Dabi called a Noumu removed them. Sometimes permanently. Mostly just out the door. Even the League had only so many places they could stash the bodies, and Dabi liked to joke they were running out of room.

The barrister appeared confident. Why was his confident?

"Your Honour," he was saying. "The prosecution will forgo seeking jail time in this case, as we believe this would be the perfect opportunity to test QERI."

Warui blinked. What the hell was that? But… no jail time? He could live with that.

"Drop the conviction as well, and I'll advise my client to consider it," his barrister said.

Yatsu schooled his expression into something calm. She was too eager.

"No, a conviction must be recorded," the prosecution barrister said.

"Agreed," the Judge intoned, giving Yatsu's barrister a hard look.

What had she been trying to pull off? What was this QERI?

"The court will consider it," the Judge continued.

"Objection! The prosecution has never raised this option before."

"With respect, Your Honour, the prosecution feels that this case provides the perfect opportunity to test QERI. The defendant has been found guilty multiple times of quirk related offences, and has shown no remorse for the deaths cause, nor any empathy for the pain of those left traumatised by the use of his quirk."

"My client has displayed much empathy!" His barrister objected. Warui wondered how the lies slipped so easily from her mouth… oh wait… he was paying the bitch. Or rather the boss was. She was like all bitches. They would say anything for money. "Past cases also have no regard to this one. In each previous case, my client has served his time of penance. It is circumstance, an the acts of the supposed victims which brought my client's use of his quirk in self defense! It is lucky my client has such a quirk, or else he might have been hurt far worse!"

Warui looked at her. She sounded calm but he could tell she was worried. He didn't like that.

The prosecution barrister shook his head. "As the defense has so graciously pointed out, the defendant has committed more than one crime and is a repeat offender. Given the multitudinous cases, the prosecution sees no evidence at reform, or even attempts to reform. Instead the defendant has willfully used his quirk to harm others on multiple occasions. The defense claims self defense, the evidence says attack. As such, the state would like to apply for the use of QERI in this case."

"No, the use of QERI is a fundamental violation of my clients human rights."

The prosecution barrister looked to the defense. He could tell she didn't meant that, but it was one of the few logical argument she could put forth. "The prosecution understands that the use of QERI is new, and while we would argue that it would prevent any possible future violations of quirk law, the prosecution understands that we are not here to speculate about the future." The barrister gave the judge a nod at that, knowing that Her Honour would have pointed it out otherwise. "However, given the history of the defendant, and the severity of the quirk violations, the prosecution will press for the use of QERI. In exchange, as I stated, the prosecution will apply for the waiving of the mandatory jail term."

Yatsu wasn't sure what to think. No one had explained QERI and while he was an intelligent man, the only clue as to what was going on, was the strain on his barrister's face. "What's QERI?" he asked. It had to be something really bad if the prosecution was willing to forgo jail time.

"The defendant will be silent," the Judge announced. It sounded perfunctory. He hated that. It sounded like she'd made a decision already.

"What's QERI?" he demanded again.

"Quiet," his barrister muttered, her lips barely moving.

"No! What is this fucking QERI thing?" he demanded. He couldn't leap up. He was chained in place. His quirk lurked close to the surface but he knew better than to use it here. Oh… but it would be sweet to see that old bitch of a Judge squirm.

"You will be silent," the Judge intoned, actually looking at him. "Or the court will ensure your silence."

Warui snapped his jaw shut. He knew what that meant. Any case where the defendant was being tried for improper use of their quirk involved quirk suppressant cuffs, and in some cases muzzles, for those who's quirks operated through their mouths. But the court was free with them. It was used to silence annoying defendants like himself and there was nothing he could do about it.

The Judge looked away when he was suitably cowed. "I will consider the use of QERI," she said, "for now, please move on."

Of course, no case is that easy. The barristers did move on. The defendant was found guilty. The evidence was damning. And that's how Warui Yatsu had a conviction recorded but no jail time and was now, on the last morning of his time in remand strapped to a table. Quirk restraining cuffs were on his wrists but even if they weren't there was no way he could break the restraints.

It was cold. The room was sterile and there was a huge one way mirror taking up one entire wall. He knew there had to be people behind it, but the silence was deafening.

Eventually a door opened. A man walked in. He was dressed in a white hazmat suit. His face wasn't visible through the mask.

Warui stiffened. What the hell was going on here? All his barrister had said was that… the bitch had said nothing useful. Just that he wouldn't be going to jail… He never agreed to this.

"Warui Yatsu, prisoner number -"

"I ain't a prisoner!" He growled. The conviction had been recorded but as the prosecution had requested there was no jail time because of this QERI crap.

"-been selected for the use of QERI-" the man continued.

"What the fuck is QERI?" Warui demanded.

The man ignored him and instead went to one of the white walls. A small draw opened. Yatsu watched the man reach into it, and pull out a small syringe. He had a bad feeling about this! "What the fuck is QERI?" he demanded again.

"Administer." The voice came from the speaker system.

"What is it!?" Warui screamed, pulling away as much as he could.

There was a sigh over the speakers. "QERI is an experimental punishment," a voice explained. It sounded tired. It sounded bored.

Yatsu glared. It had to be one of the so righteous bastards who were sitting behind the glass. "Quirk Experimental Removal Initiative," the voice continued.

" _What?"_ Yatsu roared, his eyes widening. He pulled at the restraints. They weren't gonna take his quirk!

Blood flowed from his wrists where the restraints cut into him.

"Administering sedative." That was an automated voice.

He felt a pin prick at the back of his neck and everything went blurry.

The man in the hazmat suit hadn't moved but Warui could see him standing there. He could see the syringe in his hand. It shone in the light.

"As a repeat offender who has shown no remorse for your victim's suffering, you have been nominated for QERI testing. BioSimip Industries is acting as guarantor in the event of any complications. Assuming none, after confirmation that your quirk has been permanently suppressed, you will be released."

Yatsu tried to say no. He tried to deny it all but his tongue wouldn't work. It came out like 'naluga' which meant absolutely nothing.

"Administer now, please," the watching bastard said.

Warui tried to struggle but the sedative was powerful. His limbs were heavy and they didn't obey him. The man in the hazmat suit stepped forward. He pulled a small bottle from somewhere and there was a burst of cold on Yatsu's arm where the contents were sprayed on him. Alcohol, he recognised the smell.

Then there was another pin prick. He wasn't even sure if he felt it or just thought he did. Then there was nothing. Before he knew it, the man withdrew the syringe and washed the area down with alcohol again. There wasn't even a need for a dressing.

"Monitoring," the automated voice said.

Warui imagined there were any number of facilities in the watching room which were trained on him. He didn't know what they were monitoring. His could feel his heart beating as normal. He was breathing okay and the world was still fuzzy. How did you monitor a quirk? As far as he knew there was no way of knowing unless it was being used, and with the cuffs he couldn't use his.

"Remove the cuffs," the instruction came.

The man in the hazmat suit had put the syringe away, back into the little draw that once more disappeared into the wall, leaving it smooth and featureless. The little bottle of alcohol was similarly gone. He was surprisingly dexterous for a man wearing rubber gloves and soon the quirk restraining cuffs were gone. Warui noted how his blood looked on the white hazmat suit. It was starkly read.

"Monitoring," the automated voice said again.

"Suagarh!" Yatsu said. He was trying for 'shut up'.

"Quirk receding."

With the sedative, he couldn't even panic at that.

"Do you want me to bandage the cuts?" the man asked, looking towards the glass.

"You should," came the bastard's voice again but Warui could tell he didn't really care. He was more interested in the automated voice.

He breathed in and out. He couldn't feel anything. He wasn't sure if he should feel anything except… Even with the sedative, Warui felt his eyes widen when he reached for his quirk. He couldn't activated it. He couldn't even feel it. It wasn't there.

"Quirk receded." The automated voice said.

"Good," the bastard commented. "Thank you for your participation, Warui Yatsu. All being well, you will be released after further tests. This is a historic day and you should feel proud that you have played such an important role within it!"

-afop-

 **QERI Program Success**

 _The Justice Department has successfully trialled a new punishment for repeat offenders in quirk related violence cases. Rumour has it that the Program will be used to permanently suppress offenders quirks though spokespeople have been tight lipped on what the acronym means, but a freedom of information request indicates that the program is being sponsored by major pharmaceutical company BioSimip Industries. They are perhaps best known for their revolutionary sleeping pills, which may be tailored to individuals to give an accurately timed sleeping pattern. Media relations at BioSimip Industries offered no comment on the QERI Program._

Representative Imoku Kakurete looked at the tiny article on the twelfth page of the paper. Most people didn't bother to read the physical paper any more. It was for government and company announcements, and births, deaths and marriages. It wasn't for real news, but the Justice Department was required to report on its programs and while they usually did it via media release, it had been deemed best that QERI just be quietly announced.

Eventually the public would find out but by then, they'd be used to the results. In this case, it was going to be easier to beg forgiveness, rather than ask for permission. There was going to be backlash but that wasn't his problem.

He sighed. There were times when he loved being an independent.

Now was one of them.

-afop-

The next two chapters are sort of like summary chapters. One from the Hero POV, and one from the League :D


	19. Part 2: Chapter 1

To kick off part 2, two chapters quickly. Though from now I will go back to a schedule of twice a week.

 **Part 2: Chapter 1**

Aizawa Shouta looked around carefully. He was conscientious enough to ensure that his gaze wasn't obvious. He'd learned how to do that professionally as an underground hero. And despite it being ten years or so since he had been a hero, he hadn't forgotten his skills. There was no one watching, and the camera in the corner was his feed.

He unlocked the door, opening it just enough for him to slip through before it closed again. He stood in the dark for a few moments before flicking on the light. He paid extra for the storage unit to have power. It was for these times.

He looked at the boxes. They contained the regalia of his time as a Hero and some of his first cases after his _reintegration_. His examination was sharp. Shouta breathed a sigh of relief when he took in that nothing had changed. His capture scarf was still hanging half out of the top of one, and some of Hizashi's gear was strewn haphazardly around. All was in order.

Aizawa stepped through the boxes, working his way between them until he was standing at the back of the storage unit. At least that's what it looked like. It was a false back. It concealed barely five centimetres of room. That small was not noticeable, and could be explained as a measurement error should anyone come in here. Carefully he began moving the concealing boards, stacking them to the side.

Behind the wall was a cork board. Photos, printouts of news articles, and other random things were pinned onto it. They were all joined by several spools of different coloured threads. The board would make no sense to anyone looking at it. But the board was rather incriminating.

The former pro-hero sighed as he looked at it.

At the centre there was a picture of Representative Imoku Kakurete. A large question mark was over his head. It was symbolic because after so many years, Shouta seemed to always have more questions about the man and precious few answers. Threads connected him to just about everything on the board. There were pictures of the League of Villains, heroes and vigilantes. Other Representatives were pictured as well but nowhere near as prominently.

If you spent some time looking you could see a pattern. Some of the photos had black thread. That lead to those who were dead. It was mostly on the Hero side. Others had gold thread, and they tied back to Imoku Kakurete the closest.

Shouta let his eyes trace over the images, seeing all the connections.

So much had changed in the past few years. Not all of it for the better but he was one of the lucky ones. When heroes had been forced to _integrate_ , as they called it, he had other skills to fall back on. Most combat heroes just took the offered positions with the Police, Fire Brigades or sometimes with the Military. Rescue heroes took positions with the Emergency Services… and any hero that had a healing quirk just walked into a hospital and was welcomed.

On the surface it looked as if everything was neatly dealt with. Heroes were integrated. New study courses were made for those who passed the renamed Hero Public Safety Bureau's psyche assessment. They had been renamed the Quirk Usage Assessments, and were performed by the Centre for Responsible Quirk Usage. The committee was still there, but they were far more closely monitored by a House of Representatives oversight committee. The committee that was headed by Imoku Kakurete.

The argument there was that since he was an Independent Representative, he wouldn't be influenced by the major parties. Aizawa didn't buy the public line. He was far too used to heroics, where the truth was seldom what it seemed.

And that's why the board existed. He hadn't taken employment with the Police. He saw where that was going. The heroes who had taken that option, had been forced to hunt down those who had become vigilantes. That had broken most of them, and they'd resigned, generally to retire to some other profession, after some retraining. In that way, the old Hero Public Safety Bureau had been generous. They had allotted more than enough funds to allow for retraining.

He'd adapted. He'd used the skills he'd learned as an underground hero and had become a private investigator. Shouta had made sure he kept his cases simple. Things that wouldn't attract the wrong type of attention. He appeared to be fitting in.

This was the longest case of his life.

His red eyes bored into the image of Imoku. The man's green eyes were visible from under green curls over his confident smile. Representative Kakurete was a man who knew his power. He didn't flaunt it, but he certainly used it. And he was adept at keeping it. He had won a second term by a landslide. Rumour had it that there had been serious debate in party rooms to decide if they should even bother running candidates against Imoku. He was very popular with his electorate. He was very popular with Japan. The major parties had run against him.

It just made their loss all the more spectacular. But Imoku was only one man, and he had only one area, which should have limited his power.

Aizawa snorted. Representative Kakurete was very good at making sure all the major parties liked him. Somehow he hadn't made enemies in politics.

Somehow…

Shouta knew exactly how it was. An gift of a very expensive wine here, a vote of support there, a popular legislation and Kakurete had enough political capital to spend, along with his very real fiscal capital. And he didn't have any dirt to dig up. Shouta knew he wasn't the only one looking. He had encountered others looking. Either the Representative was as clean as he looked, or he was far better at burying his past that most others.

Nedzu had pointed him at Kakurete, so Shouta knew exactly which option he leaned towards. It was somewhat scary to know that Nedzu hadn't been able to work out Kakurete but Aizawa liked to think it was more that the Principal didn't have time, rather than couldn't. The rat-human was one of the casualties of the changes. He hadn't been killed, or taken for experimentation, he'd simply died. With Nedzu's intelligence it was easy to forget he wasn't completely human. He'd aged and died.

That was the easy path, really. Others hadn't made it quite as well.

Snipe had settled into the Police SWAT teams. He was their crack sharp shooter. Hizashi devoted himself full time to radio. Midnight had launched a brand of perfume but it hadn't done well. He wasn't sure where she was. Cementoss worked in construction with Power Loader. Vlad King went in a completely different direction. Shouta understood he was working as an Environmental Consultant these days. Lunch Rush had opened a restaurant and Recovery Girl was retired but occasionally worked on difficult specialist cases when called in. Thirteen was working in the space program. It was slightly amusing, she was actually in space for a lot of the time, cleaning up the debris from the 20th century, which made clear space lanes for now. Most of UA's staff had moved on to find other work. It was the last thing Nedzu did for them.

Other schools weren't as adaptable. Ms Joke had tried to work for the Police and for a while she was a great hostage negotiator but in the end that hadn't worked. She now did stand up comedy with a quirk license. Those going to her shows knew she was using a quirk but people wanted to laugh.

He'd like to say that they wanted to laugh in these dark days but society hadn't crumbled into shambles with the disappearance of Heroes. It had changed but it was still trundling along. As far as he knew, the League of Villains still existed but they didn't appear as active. Unconfirmed rumour had it that many of the members indicated it wasn't as fun without Heroes to fight.

At least that meant the students, those who had been training to be heroes weren't having to deal with them. Most of the students had moved into other courses, though the transition had been difficult for those who came from hero families. Uraraka had formed a business partnership with Power Loader and Cementoss and was now one of the largest construction companies in Japan. Kirishima was with the Police and was a front line tactical expert for when they did confront quirk related crime. It was the closest position to a combat hero that still existed.

The support students were mostly in business for themselves. That was another thing Kakurete was responsible for. With the removal of Heroes as a job, the restrictions on support items were lightened. The public had never been happier. And in some ways, Shouta was forced to admit it was a good thing. He had been on a stake out a year or so ago now, and had spotted a mugging. He wasn't dumb enough to go and interfere. That would make him a vigilante and he had no desire to be imprisoned. But he had been willing to activate his quirk from a distance to render the attacker quirkless. No one would have seen him. It hadn't been necessary. The victim had pulled out something, he wasn't sure what it was given the distance and then had calmly walked away. On that front, Aizawa couldn't fault the change but… He was curious to know how many were misusing support items to conduct heists?

There was never any data on that. Perhaps he should ask Asui to collect it? She had taken a position with the Coast Guard, but had enough access to Police records. Perhaps not, he had enough to complicate matters.

He sighed again, and pulled some of the threads up. They had dropped off. They connected Imoku to the League of Villains. There _was_ a connection, Shouta was sure of it but he wasn't quite sure how. The thread was grey to represent his questions.

He was left staring at a knife.

Aizawa stiffened. His mind automatically assessed the knife. It was a short throwing blade. It was embedded in the image of Imoku, directly between his green eyes, but thankfully had missed all the threads.

"Your situational awareness has gone down, Sensei."

He blinked at the sentence. He knew that voice.

Most of his students had gone into other industries… Some had become vigilantes. Most of them had been arrested or had stopped activities. They simply didn't have the contacts, or drive to put up with the problems a vigilante faced. Not like some of the heroes, the ones who became vigilantes. They had more stamina in the business, at least until their former allies hunted them down.

Aizawa didn't blame his students. They had signed up to be heroes after all, and that meant a certain amount of support.

One had remained though… One who had left his class directly because of the Assessments.

Katsuki Bakugou.

As far as Aizawa knew, Bakugou was living underground and was… "You took out Compress?"

The boy… no, no longer a boy, the man snorted, and came fully into the space behind the boxes.

"Of course you did," Shouta answered his own question. "You do know he was almost released?"

"What?" Katsuki glared. Aizawa had to admit his glare had gotten sharper over the years.

"You are a vigilante," he explained, and waited for Bakugou to put the pieces together.

"That's bullshit!" He snarled. At least it wasn't accompanied by explosions.

"Those are the new rules." In the wake of the Heroes being integrated, the rules on illegal use of quirks and vigilantism had been tightened. Children were now warned if they couldn't or didn't control their quirk once they turned six. Those who simply couldn't control their quirks were given extra training. Those who didn't were put on suppressants, and it was up to the parents to ensure they were taken. Vigilantism carried penalties as harsh as if they were the perpetrators. Especially if the vigilante was a former pro-hero or student. There was now a recognised defense of wrongful arrest by vigilante. Compress hadn't managed to get away with that argument but it was a close thing. Thankfully the League member had a rap sheet a mile long, and the prosecution had known to bring out every charge because quite a few had been dismissed.

"Yeah, well, you obviously don't agree with them," the blond growled, reaching up to pull out his knife.

He said nothing.

Bakugou snorted again. "I don't do blackmail, Sensei… Unless it is that fuck," he added. If a glare could set fire to something (without a quirk), Katsuki's would have. There was considerable venom in his eyes.

"You know something?"

"I know that fucker's real name."

 _That_ got Aizawa's attention. And he could see that it was meant to with the way Katsuki smirked at him. "And what would that cost me?" He asked carefully.

Bakugou's statement guaranteed that Imoku Kakurete had another name but that didn't necessarily mean that he was doing anything illegal… though he could be. Depending on the circumstances there might be a case for misleading Parliament and that would be enough to get Kakurete thrown out. It might not change the current rules regarding heroes back but it would perhaps bring them into question.

"I want your assessment," Katsuki replied.

"My assessment?" Shouta didn't understand. If the boy was talking about a psych assessment, there was no way to transfer them.

"Your realistic assessment," Bakugou explained before he huffed. "I want to know if you think revealing it will do any good."

"You've always been good at knowing the consequences," Aizawa pointed out.

The boy looked disgusted. "Not with him," he whispered, glaring at the image.

That was interesting. That meant there was some deeper history there. "Tell me who he is," Aizawa said, agreeing to the price. It was something he'd have to do anyway, so he might as well get information.

Bakugou nodded. "His name is Izuku Midoriya," he said.

The name meant nothing, though Aizawa was sure he had heard it before. He focused on Katsuki's words while his mind worked.

"He's my age. Or at least he's meant to be. Quirkless, and went missing about a year before this Kakurete appears."

Shouta took a deep breath, thinking. "It would be very hard to prove," he murmured. Actually it might be impossible unless this Izuku's DNA was on record… which it was… Blood work was done on all newborns in Japan. But getting a sample from Imoku would be difficult. _Correction_ , legally getting the sample would be difficult and then comparing it would actually violate several laws. And Kakurete had enough lawyers that if there was the slightest hint of impropriety, he would bury them.

And even if Imoku was this Izuku what laws had he violated? Shouta wasn't sure. Misrepresentation was a possibility but he was equally sure Imoku would have arguments against that… In fact… Imoku could argue that he was a victim of some quirk and had decided to make the best of his life. Except that didn't explain how he had walked into his directorships. Most of the companies had been groomed for him.

Again, Aizawa could see that there would be reasons. The person who accidentally aged him felt sorry for him or similar. They were shallow reasons but they would buy off the public.

Except… why hadn't he told his real mother? Now that he was thinking, Aizawa felt his eyes wander to a picture of a green haired woman who was almost always at Kakurete's rallies. She was the mother of the missing quirkless Izuku Midoriya. Why had he been missing?

No, there were questions that had to be answered, though…

Shouta sighed.

"Well?" Bakugou asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "It would definitely cause some problems and raise quite a few questions which I'm sure Kakurete doesn't want to answer but I don't know how much trouble it would really raise."

"Why?"

"Money," Shouta gave the short answer. "And you know which companies he owns?"

The vigilante looked like he'd swallowed a lemon. Kakurete had an unfortunate interest in news and advertising.

"I'll take that as a yes. A couple of words to the right people and they won't publish. Even if they do, he can present himself as a victim of a quirk gone wild."

"Bullshit!"

"True," Aizawa agreed. "But he can spin stories to that affect and I can guarantee that the reporting will favour him."

"So it's pointless?"

"Not pointless," Shouta was quick to correct. "Avalanches have to start somewhere. I just don't think revealing a supposed identity is enough. Finding a genuine link between him and the League would be better."

"Of course it fucking would!" Bakugou growled. "But you know he's not that careless."

"But you know him," Aizawa pointed out. Katsuki had knowledge of Izuku that he didn't, and that could be the difference. "Though, how do you know it's him?"

There was a snort at the question. "He fucking told me!"

"He told you?" There was an understandable note of disbelief in Aizawa's voice with his question.

Bakugou's expression changed. It wasn't something Shouta would ever expected to see on the blond's face. It was a mix of emotion. Regret, resignation… even fear. There was definite history here. "He told me."

Shouta took a deep breath, before he reached back one hand, feeling for some boxes. He hoisted himself into a sitting position on them after checking that they would hold his weight. "Start at the beginning," he instructed. "Assume I know nothing," he added.

What else had Imoku told Bakugou? Did Bakugou know about Imoku's undocumented quirk? The Representative hadn't exactly denied having one, but, as always with Kakurete, proof was scarce to non-existent. And making an accusation of that nature would require irrefutable proof, especially as Kakurete had been correct. Government Representatives were routinely checked to ensure that they were not being influenced by a quirk.

He suppressed a shiver. That was not a good memory. Not the interview with Kakurete, one of his students. Shinsou… He should be there! In the Government testing team. Too young, they said. Too inexperienced. He'd instead taken a job with the Police as a Hostage Negotiator, and he'd been good. He'd proven to the world that his quirk could be used for good. Until someone set a trap. He couldn't be sure it was the League but it seemed like them.

One of the hostages wasn't a hostage.

At least it had been quick. It was a comfort Aizawa didn't like to think about. He couldn't prove it was the League but the way the woman had smirked made it clear. Shinsou wasn't a hero, but they wanted him gone.

"It starts back when I was four," Katsuki said, bringing Shouta's attention back to the present. The vigilante had taken a seat on another set of boxes and was staring into the distance. "We were so excited to get our quirks," Bakugou murmured. "But he never did. It wasn't too bad at first. It could be just late, but it never came. Eventually he was diagnosed as Quirkless. He has the toe joint and everything."

Aizawa nodded, indicating he was listening.

Bakugou sighed. "I wasn't good to him," he said. There was a catch in his voice. "That barely covers it. I was a villain to him," he altered his words. "Every opportunity I could I told him he was worthless. Every chance I had, I used my quirk on him. No one bothered to stop it. I was gifted after all." There was a bitter note in Katsuki's words. It wasn't all directed outwards. That was a change.

"Ten years. I never thought about it. I never wondered, I just did it because there's no way someone without a quirk was going to get in my way. No way, someone without a quirk would ever be a hero. I wasn't going to let the spotlight fall on him."

Shouta said nothing. This was new but he had gained a reasonable insight into Bakugou's nature during the first year of UA. He was passionate. That was the kindest way of saying it.

"Then one day, when we were fourteen, our teacher was asking about our High School choices. The extras all wanted to be Heroes but they knew they couldn't. Only I was applying to UA. At least, that's what I thought… Then I found out _he_ was. I was so _angry._ Here was this quirkless nothing, trying to get into UA! Something snapped. I just wanted him to hurt, so I told him that if he wanted to be a hero that badly, he should just jump off the roof, and believe he'd be born with a quirk in the next life."

Aizawa saw the way Bakugou swallowed thickly. His red eyes were still unfocused.

"Izuku didn't jump, he just disappeared." Katsuki huffed. "The last thing I told him was that he should kill himself and in disappearing he kind of did. There was a search. Nothing was found. No evidence, no phone, no nothing. It was like he had just vanished into thin air."

Shouta couldn't say he was familiar with the case but he nodded. Missing person cases were very much like that, perhaps without the words spoken by Bakugou.

"That doesn't tell me why you believe Imoku is Izuku," he pointed out.

"Only four people heard the words I said to him. Izuku, two extra's and myself. But Imoku repeated them to me."

"What do you mean?" Aizawa could tell he was missing something here.

The vigilante huffed. "I was pissed when I was dropped from the hero program."

That was putting it mildly.

"It took me more than a few years to realise why I'd failed. Before I figured it out, I blamed the punk who'd brought in the Heroes Must be Heroes Bill."

"Kakurete," Shouta supplied.

"Yeah, that fucker. So I confronted him. He didn't take me seriously. He waved off his bodyguards, so I attacked. He was faster and he did something so I couldn't use my quirk."

At that Aizawa's eyebrow raised. He was willing to say that Kakurete had a second quirk but it was not anything like that. It had to be something related to mind control.

Bakugou caught his expression. "His quirk is spark. He stopped my ignition sparks," he explained. "But then he leaned in close to me and whispered. He repeated the words I'd said to Izuku. Word for word, Sensei. He got it perfect. There is no way a forty year old politician should know those words. The only way for him to know them is if he _is_ Izuku."

Most people would dismiss the idea of a fourteen year old becoming a forty year old and somehow entering politics. Aizawa wasn't most people.

"What day did he disappear?"

Katsuki named a date.

Shouta looked at his board. It was before Imoku took over the companies he owned. It was before he made a run to be a Representative. There was time to modify him… or for someone to learn.

"So you think someone took this Izuku, gave him a spark quirk, aged him up and then put him into politics?"

Bakugou gave him a look. He was aware of how insane it sounded. "Not someone. That quirk stealing bastard. But there's two more proof points," he replied, not bothering to directly answer the question. "USJ. Unless you know something I don't, it was never revealed who that other person was but I remember, he had green hair under the mask."

Aizawa nodded. That was true, and to this day no one was sure who that person had been. He hadn't been a kid, that much was certain. But no one that they had ever seen with the League met the description and no one cared that much to remain hidden. "And the last point?"

"The last thing that bastard said before he died."

"What was that?" Shouta asked. He knew the Villain who had founded the League was dead. It had been reported quietly. He had died in custody from wounds inflicted by All Might. What everyone remembered was that All Might had retired because of that fight. Nothing more. Yagi was pleased, but didn't say anything publically. It would have been too easy to portray it as gloating, and despite his reputation as a flawless hero, All Might was still under scrutiny.

"Izuku."

Shouta blinked. "How do you know that?"

"You pay off the right people, they'll tell you anything. Especially little things they think are worthless."

That was true. "Him saying Izuku doesn't mean Kakurete is your old school mate."

"Except it's the only theory that fits all the evidence. He's the only man who could have given Izuku that darn spark quirk. From what I know of him, he had other quirks. They could have aged the fucker, and he had contacts. All Might told me that. Imoku Kakurete is Izuku Midoriya. And instead of being a hero, he's destroyed them."

Shouta was silent for a few minutes. It was unfortunately the only theory that fitted all the evidence. He looked at his board. There were so many links and cross links to Imoku. He was the lynchpin. If he was gone then… The former underground hero didn't know. He wasn't sure what might happen if Imoku was to disappear. A lot had happened already and he well knew that things tended to coast on inertia for a while.

"You know," he said slowly as a kernel of an idea formed. "I think we might be going about this the wrong way."

"What do you mean?" Bakugou demanded.

Aizawa ran his eyes over his board. "What does it matter who Imoku really is?" he murmured the question, still thinking.

"Because he's a fucking useless deku!"

"No," Shouta objected. "What does it really matter? Even if we find evidence to prove it, what does it matter?"

Katsuki remained silently fuming.

"It's not Izuku that we are fighting, it's Imoku Kakurete. Proving he is Izuku won't change anything because I'm willing to bet there will be those who support him with excuses for the name he's using. Adoption, change of name… whatever it takes. Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to ensure Imoku is in position, and you can bet they've covered contingencies.

"What we need to focus on is what we can do to stop Imoku because really, what does it matter if he's Izuku? It's a distraction."

Bakugou didn't look convinced. Aizawa remembered that he could be like a dog with a bone. He'd keep worrying it until it was gone.

"If we prove Imoku is Izuku, what will the public do?" Shouta posed the question.

"I don't know. That's why I was asking you."

That single statement was enough for Aizawa to realise how much Bakugou had changed.

"There will be some who care but he's got the money and backing to ensure the story is quickly buried. The consequences will go to other people." He gave Katsuki a significant look. The consequences would come to them, and to the poor saps that Imoku got to take the fall because there was no doubt in the former underground pro-hero's mind that Imoku would get someone to take the fall.

There was a reluctant nod.

"In the meantime, he's suring up his position and making how many more problems for us. So that's why I say we've been doing this the wrong way. Who cares if Imoku is Izuku? We already know he's Imoku and it's Imoku we need to stop."

He looked back at his board, fixing his eyes on the section that had the pictures of the League of Villains. They were still active. Their commanders were still out there, and more powerful than ever, but strangely quiet.

Bakugou huffed and followed his teacher's gaze. "I get it. If we can prove that Imoku has a link to the League, or anyone else, then that will cause him problems."

"And it's a problem the public will care about more than something he could swing to bring sympathy to his cause."

"The fucker would spin some sob story," Katsuki growled.

Aizawa nodded. "I'd also like to focus on his quirk."

"That spark thing? I figured out a way around it."

"No," Shouta shook his head. "He has spark, but I'm positive he has a second quirk."

Bakugou looked intrigued.

"I don't know what it does," Aizawa shared. After all, Katsuki had told him about Izuku. "I'm convinced it has something to do with persuasion."

"A second quirk is a bigger claim than identity," the vigilante pointed out.

He acknowledged that. "I still think he has it. No one really questioned the old guy after he was incarcerated. Those that did… well, they didn't like it, and it didn't seem important at the time. I think he has something undetectable but powerful."

"Why?"

He couldn't answer it was just a feeling. "You know a couple of party Representatives retired at the last election?" That had been a few years back now. There was a another election on the horizon.

Bakugou rolled his eyes but nodded.

"Off the record interviews with them indicate that they are a bit confused about some of the legislation they voted for."

"They're not senile?"

It was a fair question. Japan's government representatives were generally very old. Ancient was probably a better term. Aizawa felt his lips quirk in a half smile. "No, they aren't."

"So you think that's a quirk wearing off?"

"Maybe," he confirmed. "It might be nothing but-" Shouta paused, sighing deeply. "-the change has been too fast, too controlled. It was too widely supported in government given how wide reaching it was to be."

"That fucker!" Katsuki growled.

"Hmm?"

"Fucker might have used it on me!"

"You agreed with him?"

"Not immediately, but I felt like I should!"

"Maybe," Aizawa assessed before he shrugged. It was probably years back and Bakugou was contentious anyway. There wouldn't be any lingering effects. "So, what do you know about them?" he asked, before Katsuki could degenerate into cursing. He pointed a finger towards the League's section of the board.

Bakugou looked at the pictures. "Moonfish got taken out a year or so ago," he said immediately.

"What?" Aizawa hadn't heard anything about that.

"It's not official. The body was too badly damaged, but the teeth were his. I'm guessing they couldn't control him."

"You're certain it was him?"

"Positive," Katsuki confirmed.

Shouta slid off the boxes and got a black marker out. He put an edge around the villain's image. It was his marker for death.

"Mist bastard they are keeping close. I haven't even heard a whisper of where he might be for ages. The fucking League has a new teleporter."

That wasn't good. Aizawa just nodded. He knew some of this. No one had seen Kurogiri for a while. There was even speculation that he was dead but no one was willing to say it. A warp quirk was too rare, even in the underworld for anyone to just kill him without a very good reason. Though if they had a new teleporter… Except, as far as Shouta knew, Kurogiri was the oldest member of the League. He'd always been a member since its founding. It would be a big thing to kill him.

"There's a couple of things happening in Hakodate that makes me think the bitch is there," Bakugou continued, pointing towards Himiko Toga. "I don't know where Twice is, but he's running some sort of snuff ring."

Shouta gave Katsuki a look. Snuff rings never lasted. The body count was too high and they were hunted down. "He copies a prostitute," the vigilante shrugged.

Oh, that made sense but was rather sickening. Twice copied the prostitute and some sicko got off on killing them, except it wasn't really killing. Aizawa didn't like the thought. He made a mental note to mention it to some of his police contacts.

"Mustard and Spinner are around and Dabi… Not sure where he is, but he's the acting boss."

"And those Noumu things?"

"They'll be with Dabi, unless they destroyed them."

Shouta nodded. That was a sensible conclusion. Those things could not be easy to control. "And they are all being relatively quiet," he commented. When the heroes were forced to integrate, the one thing that might have changed public sentiment was villain attacks.

There were remarkably few. The League did nothing. He didn't think they had that restraint but they had. They had simply watched, never showing themselves as the heroes were destroyed.

Even after they didn't seem to celebrate.

The only incident came just after the Government had voted to abolish heroes as a profession. Tomura Shigaraki's body, missing both hands, and with his throat slashed from ear to ear, was delivered to Mineta Minoru's residence, with a sorry note attached. The boy hadn't seen it. He couldn't see it given he was still missing his face but the gesture had not gone unnoticed. And Tomura's hands had never been found.

There'd been speculation for a while on what that meant but eventually word had come through enough unofficial sources that Dabi was the acting leader of the League. There was still no word as to who the official leader was.

Shouta thought it was Imoku. So did Bakugou. Neither could prove it.

"They are. I keep waiting for the other shoe to fall but nothing ever happens."

"Then I think it's time they were found," Aizawa said. "Especially Dabi," he added.

"You think he'll talk?"

He fixed his eyes on the image. There was a thick line connecting him to Imoku but Shouta thought about what he knew of Dabi, Touya Todoroki. The villain had matured over the years but still had a bad habit of liking to show off. The interview he'd given to out his father was the prime example but there were other smaller ones. Reports that while he was in combat where he liked to reveal information he didn't have to.

It had been a couple of years, but they could play on that and there was fair chance Dabi would say something he shouldn't in an effort to be clever. It might sound like a long shot but it was better than no shot.

"I think Dabi wants to be acknowledged," Aizawa explained his reasoning.

Katsuki caught on immediately. He had never been dumb. "I'm already looking into him." The blond leaned forward, looking at the board.

"He does the fighting rings," Aizawa reminded Katsuki.

Bakugou gave him a look. "And what do I do?"

The former underground hero nodded, getting the gist of the matter. Katsuki was a brawler. He'd entered the fighting rings. Probably not here in Tokyo. He might be too well known here, but Dabi ran them across Japan. There would be rings in other cities. Bakugou would go through them.

The question dismissed the matter, an Aizawa watched Katsuku's red eyes travel over the links. "Anyone else who is dead?"

"You've already marked them," came the murmured reply before Shouta saw Katsuki frown. "Is that accurate?" He asked, pointing to one of the links.

"Yes, Giran is definitely in a relationship with Pop Step. Business relationship," he quickly clarified. The female vigilante had been around for years and had still not been caught. But she did tend to stick to minor cases.

The blond nodded and gave him a grin. "Then I have a secondary lead on Dabi."

Aizawa allowed himself a snort of amusement but suppressed any excitement. He reached out to the boards, picking them up so that he could replace the false wall. Bakugou slid off his seat of boxes and helped as they placed them.

"Same time next week?" Aizawa murmured.

The vigilante gave him a nod. "I'll find you," he said before slipping through the boxes and away.

Shouta didn't huff but he felt a stab of resentment. Well of course he didn't mean they should meet here! That would be too obvious… Anyone would think he was the amateur!

 **-afop-**


	20. Part 2: Chapter 2

Note: This was written before we knew who Ujiko really was. So I have gone with the female Ujiko. Besides, the League needed more women in there, so I stuck with it.

 **Part 2: Chapter 2**

Kurogiri looked around the bar. He kept it for old times sake. And for the times when the League managed to get together like tonight. It was closed to the public. The door was locked and there was a sign on it indicating that the facility had been hired for a private function so they wouldn't have any morons attempting to come in.

Their underlings knew better than to bother them today, and with Imoku here, that was for the best. He was the boss, but he was the hidden boss. People knew he existed. Dabi admitted he reported to someone, but no one knew who he was. With the information Imoku provided them with, it lent the League an air of mystique and power.

So much had changed, yet so much remained the same.

The jokes about his beer for example hadn't changed but the League had. In the wake of the historic vote on Heroes, Tomura had wanted the League to run wild. Imoku had wanted the League to lay low so that the vote wasn't overturned. In that, Imoku had the better view of reality.

They fought. Imoku won. Kurogiri looked to the spot in the bar where Tomura had died. The wood boards were spotless. His bar was always clean but he could see where Shigaraki's blood had been spilt.

As far as he was aware it was the first, and only fight the two of them had. And Imoku was the one who was prepared. Not surprising given Sensei's training. Though, the interesting thing to note, was that while the League had followed Imoku in the heat of the moment, they had actually been on Tomura's side. They did want to run wild, to prove to the world that villains had won.

Imoku had kept them under control and he'd done it in a way that Kurogiri never expected.

He gave them jobs.

Not meaningless make work either. They were actual jobs and Imoku let them keep the profits. Given that all the jobs had an aspect of villainy to them, the profits were large. It had kept them all docile for the last few years.

He, along with Ujiko was running a delivery service. A very discreet, every efficient one that transported all sorts of goods around the country, through customs or whatever else he was paid for. Drugs arrived in a container. They were never even unpacked and there was nothing but residue for Customs to find and in shipping containers, there was always residue. High end clients, those who couldn't be seen going to a dealer, provided coordinates and their poison, whatever it was, was delivered exactly there. He didn't even have to leave the bar. Spinner was his contact, and made sure that he got paid, and that he got a cut.

Spinner was working as an agent for a lot of them helping them out with contacts. Giran was still doing that as well but the man had distanced himself from them slightly. The new environment meant he could now openly sell support items. Giran might be close to being legitimate these days. Kurogiri wasn't sure.

Twice was actually working two jobs, one for himself, in stuff porn, and one for Dabi. He had the advantage over other producers, and Kurogiri knew there were others but no one could output the volume Twice was. They didn't have his advantages. He simply got someone, women usually, but sometimes men, trans, bi, it didn't matter. They all wanted out of the industry. Twice was prepared to arrange that. They paid him to die. Of course they didn't really die. Getting rid of the bodies was such a pain. Twice duplicated them, and they were killed on screen. It meant he could put out a lot of films, while his victims moved on to something new. That was the deal. But the death, the bit those who watched that sort of stuff really wanted, that was real, even if it was just a clone.

Mustard was working with a company Kurogiri suspected Imoku had purchased specifically for the League member. They were making sleeping pills, using the gas he created. It was condensed and solidified and apparently it worked on almost anyone. Being the source of the drug, Mustard got a significant cut of the profits. The boy was happy and sent in sealed bottles every week as his 'work' but did what he wanted in the meantime. Kurogiri suspected that Imoku's company had figured out how to synthesise Mustard's gas since the volume they produced was far more than he did, but Imoku was happy to pay him to keep him quiet.

Dabi and Toga worked together, though Kurogiri wasn't quite sure what Toga did. Dabi was the main contact for the League and he ran an underground fighting ring. All were welcome, and High End, was his ultimate undefeated champion. Twice was called in sometimes, if the combatant was feeling wussy! He cloned them and generally they died. The underground didn't like that, but a new fighter could sometimes get away with using Twice to build confidence. It was actually Dabi who had to deal with the most bodies. He carbonised most of them.

Everyone was kept active. Those who joined the League later, reported to them, and they all got paid. And they had all been quiet. Kurogiri admired the way Izuku had handled that. It made the reason for Tomura's death all the more clear.

Though Izuku was still involved.

The bartender looked over at the corner. The Representative had gotten away for tonight and was sitting in the corner Tomura had favoured. He was nursing a beer but Kurogiri could tell from the way his green eyes were moving, he wasn't missing a thing. Being here, casually, allowed the League to bring their complaints and concerns to him directly. It helped him maintain control.

Though… The Noumu's did that as well. Kurogiri had thought that High End was only loyal to Sensei and Tomura. Izuku had spent a few minutes with the Noumu and High End would have then followed the politician around like a puppy. What Imoku wanted, High End was more than happy to provide. Like a toddler following after a parent, looking for approval. That's why High End was working with Dabi. The Noumu wanted to fight. Imoku had arranged the initial battles and it satisfied High End that no one was allowed to challenge him unless they had proven to be the strongest. It made Dabi's fighting ring one of the most prized in the country.

Underground, of course.

Kurogiri nodded when Imoku raised his chin. He poured a new beer, and went over to Imoku. Dabi was sitting with him. The fire villain grinned at him. "It's time to run wild!" Dabi announced.

Just a tad too loudly.

The bar turned to them.

Imoku gave Dabi a disparaging look. The villain didn't even look contrite. "Soon," Imoku told the League, as Toga bounced up and down happily. "There's just one vigilante I want taken care of first."

"Boss! If that's all you want, why didn't you say so earlier? We'll take out a vigilante!" Spinner said, almost laughing.

Imoku smiled at him. Kurogiri knew that smile. He braced. "ExplodoKill," the Representative said.

"Fuck!"

The expletive was somewhat universal around the bar. ExplodoKill was one of the most problematic vigilantes. He had a very strong quirk, and was quick witted. Not only that, he was tough. He could take a hit unlike others and he absolutely did not play by the rules, or give a fuck about public opinion. Tomura hadn't been completely delusional when he decided to ask the brat to be a villain. Except ExplodoKill was still trying to be a hero, in a society that didn't want them.

"I'm sure you all want to avenge Compress," Imoku pressed, mercilessly.

Dabi held up two fingers. The tip of each was decorated with a blue flame. Imoku smiled at it. Oh, he wanted to avenge Compress. Bakugou had done himself no favours there.

"On this," Izuku told the League, "you can go wild, but I want you to make it very clear to bystanders that you are only targeting ExplodoKill."

"I'll do that!" Toga yelled happily. She had done it in the past. She took on the appearance of a civilian and mingled with those watching any fight. Her comments made sure that those watching knew what the League was trying to do. There was something about hearing things in the heat of the moment that made it all the more believable, and it stuck in the memory.

"You aren't going to give us a plan?" Spinner asked.

"It's one vigilante," Imoku replied. "I think you can handle that."

The green villain managed to look slightly contrite. "Your plans are the best boss," he said.

That got a chuckle. "Then I'll score yours," Imoku countered.

Spinner flushed. It looked odd against his skin but the League understood the message. While Imoku would do his best for them, and was the boss, what good were they if they could not operate independently?

Imoku looked around the bar. "I know, in the wake of the vote, some of you wanted to follow Tomura, wanted to run wild then, to prove to the world our victory! I do thank you for sticking with me, because I know the path hasn't been easy. After ExplodoKill is taken out, you may run wild as you like. Or you can continue in the jobs you've been doing for the last few years." He gave them all a grin, gesturing to himself. "I won't judge."

That brought a laugh. Imoku was dressed in what had to be an expensive suit but his jacket was over the back of the seat, and his tie was stuffed into the front pocket. There were several buttons undone on his shirt. Anyone looking into the bar would know he was the boss from the casual way he wore his suit. Also through elimination. Everyone else was relatively well known. He was the only unknown face… at least in their circles.

"It's going to be your choice, and I'll met with you all when the time comes. In the meantime, taking out ExplodoKill will remove the last risk to returning to a life of traditional villainy!"

Kurogiri didn't comment on the fact that Imoku's smile was a tad mocking at that. The League was now engaged in traditional villainy, if you went to a time before quirks.

"What about Lemillion?" Twice asked. "No, don't worry."

Over the years, while Imoku had not always been present, he was sufficiently versed in each of the League's idiosyncrasies.

Lemillion had been a hero, but in the aftermath of a mission lead by Tomura, one where a quirk destroying bullet aimed for him had been intercepted by Sir Nighteye, he had failed the newly mandated psychological assessment. Counselling had only gone so far and with the vote that lead to the reintegration of heroes into society, he had joined the Police in a desk position, though he was occasionally called upon in odd cases where his phasing ability was an advantage. Obviously being able to phase through a wall, or into a safe was a good way of seeing what was there without actually going through the lock.

However, rumours had it that Lemillion was leading a faction advocating for the return of Heroes. He was running on that Platform, hoping to be elected to the House of Representatives. Much like Izuku had.

"I'll deal with him," Imoku said. There were dark inflections there.

The League heard them. Most grinned. Imoku had been around often enough for them to learn a few things about their boss, and when he spoke like that, the problem was as good as gone. "Now, drink up, while I have a chat with Dabi," Imoku said, sitting back down.

The League toasted him but there was a noticeable gap now between them and the table.

Toga bounced over and sat down, her back to the rest of the League, blocked their view and that completed their illusion of privacy.

"I never thought you'd mention Tomura," Kurogiri murmured.

Izuku gave him a half smile. "I never hated him," he said.

That got him some odd looks. Toga giggled. "You did, Izu!"

"No, I didn't," Imoku objected mildly with a smile. "I understood Tomura," he continued. "I know exactly why Sensei chose him to lead the League."

"You did?" Dabi asked, glancing towards the place Tomura had died.

Toga just giggled.

Kurogiri would admit to being curious as well. In the beginning it had seemed as if Tomura would never mature but over time he had become better, more skilled at leadership. But he had never truly worked out what Sensei had seen in the petulant, selfish, spoiled boy.

"I did. Tomura was gifted," Imoku explained, before finishing off his beer. He took the new beer Kurogiri had brought over and took a long pull.

"Is that what you want to call it?" Dabi snorted.

"Oh, he was," Imoku defended the dead former leader. "We all lash out when we are angry but there is a limit. We will all fight, and we will destroy things, but again, there is a limit. A point at which we stop. You see it every day, Dabi. The fighters you take. Not the newbies and not High End. The seasoned fighters. Even when angry, they know when to stop so that they don't kill someone, don't they?"

The fire villain nodded, his scarred face thoughtful. "I guess, though it's also because they know it's a pain to get rid of the bodies, and I'll dock their pay."

Imoku chuckled. "There's that," he allowed. "All right, let's take a domestic dispute or something like that. There's a lot of hitting involved, even in passion, but there isn't a lot of death. That's what I mean. People hold back. Sometimes they make mistakes and someone dies, but it's not normal, it's not what they wanted."

"How does that connect to Handsy?" Toga asked.

"He didn't have those limits, or any sense of restraint. He went for the kill, every time. And he didn't regret it."

Kurogiri nodded. He'd lived the most through Izuku's words. It was a petty thing but not once did Tomura apologise for anything. Not the disintegrated controllers, or the piles of dust left over when he disintegrated some random customer who looked at him wrong.

"We do go for the kill," Dabi objected. He was obviously remembering when they had trapped Kamui Woods. The plant based hero had burned.

"When it's planned," Izuku told him. "But it was more than that. Tomura would tear down society, bring anarchy to the world and never worry about where his next meal was coming from. The rest of us will be a bit concerned. And that single minded drive is actually harder to find than you'd believe."

Again Kurogiri nodded. Sensei had searched for quite some time before finding Tomura. Not that he had been obvious about it but there had been an air about the man that was satisfied when he found Tomura. Part of it was the corruption of the grandchild of his former nemesis, but a part of it was that Tomura was suited. But if that was the case, and Imoku understood what Sensei wanted then why had he killed Tomura? He hadn't raised the knife himself, but he had created the circumstances and given the order.

"So why..?" The mist villain realised the question had slipped out before he could stop himself.

Imoku looked at him, green eyes weighing him, just for a moment. His expression changed, becoming amusedly resigned. "I guess I never explained, did I?"

"You haven't," Dabi answered for the bartender.

Imoku nodded. "Tomura was what was needed to tear down society. In that, every time he failed, he would simply try again, until he succeeded. Me being there, helped on the timeline but that was Tomura's job. He just never thought of what would happen next. And since he refused to listen-"

"He died!" Toga trilled happily.

"He did," Izuku agreed.

"That is true," Kurogiri said, referring to Imoku's earlier explanation. "I do sometimes remember him as the one Sensei chose," he added. Izuku was mature enough to know he meant nothing from it. He'd made his choice on that fateful day because he wasn't stupid. He knew that Izuku would have had plans on how to take any of them League out, if they objected to the change in leadership.

"You forget then Kurogiri, Sensei chose me as well." Izuku's eyes were hard. His voice was chilly.

"He did," the mist villain agreed amicably. Izuku was mature enough to know he wouldn't challenge but there were things best left to when they were truly private. "He did."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Toga figited, while Imoku took another drink of beer.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Dabi said finally breaking the slight tension. It was best to move on to a new topic.

"I did," Izuku said, his voice back to being completely pleasant. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and resting his head on his clasped hands. "Has anyone heard anything about QERI?" he asked.

The three League members shared a glance with each other. Toga was easy to read. She had no idea what was going on. Dabi looked at Kurogiri, one burned eyebrow rising slightly. Kurogiri heard the most of them. The mist villain shook his head slightly to indicate he didn't know.

Dabi nodded shallowly. "I've only ever heard of it in relation to Yatsu's case," he said finally.

"Who's Yatsu?" Toga chimed in.

"One of my ex-underlings," Dabi explained. "He was killed in remand."

"And you did nothing about it?" Kurogiri asked. Killing a member of the League got retribution, especially if they were in remand, where they should have been safe.

Izuku snorted.

"What he said," Dabi told the mist villain.

The laugh meant there was a story and that Imoku had decided retribution wasn't necessary. "He had a minor restraint quirk," Dabi explained. "It was sometimes useful, but he just couldn't stay clean," the fire villain added.

Himiko laughed. It wasn't like they were clean.

"He kept assaulting women and expecting the League to bail him out," Imoku explained.

"And being in prison interferes with my work," Dabi added. "I heard about QERI in relation to his case, but I never looked into it," he explained further.

"So what is QUERI, Izu?" Toga asked.

"QERI," Izuku corrected. "When it was used on Warui, it was Quirk Experimental Remov-"

Kurogiri didn't hear any more. He knew what Izuku was going to say. Maybe not the exact words but he knew the meaning. "You copied it?" he whispered.

Izuku waved his free hand. "Overhaul was not discreet," he sounded disgusted. "QERI is the first working version."

"You copied it?" Kurogiri repeated his question.

Dabi was tapping at his phone. "It says BioSimip Industries developed it for the Department of Justice," he told the warp villain.

Kurogiri had never heard of them.

"BioSimip Industries is owned by Yakuhin, which is owned by Citic which is owned by-"

"Kunshu," Imoku said.

"You did develop it," Kurogiri said. Kunshu was the main company Izuku ran. As a company it was quite small but its holdings were diverse and powerful.

"Overhaul was not discreet," Izuku repeated, sounding slightly defensive. "There were at least five test versions we beat out by making ours first. And, there are advantages to me making it," he added. He reached under the table and pulled something out of his pants pocket. Kurogiri couldn't see what it was.

"Five test versions?" That was too many!

"Once quirk removal became known, it's too valuable a tool to ignore," Imoku shrugged. "There was the military version, the very underfunded police version, one from a university research group and two other commercial lots. Mine was better than them all."

"Hardly surprising! You had the bullets," Toga reminded him.

"And one was used on Overhaul," Izuku reminded her.

She knew it. She'd been there.

"And the other was used for this," Kurogiri concluded.

"Mostly," Izuku agreed. He pulled his hand back from what he'd placed on the table. It was a small vial. "But, as I said, there are advantages to me making it," he repeated.

"Advantages?" Dabi asked for them all.

Green eyes stared at Kurogiri. "After what I've been through, you don't think I would allow someone to destroy everything, do you?"

It was a reference to the past. Dabi didn't understand. Toga didn't either. Kurogiri did.

Though, even after all this time, he did not understand it all. But he knew Izuku was referring to a time before he joined the League. Wait… Izuku had been quirkless before Sensei gave him two quirks. And Kurogiri still wasn't entirely sure what the second one did, but over the years, he had made some educated guesses. It was something to do with persuasion.

That wasn't the point. Izuku wouldn't let anyone take them away from him. Not even a drug designed to do that.

"No, you won't," Kurogiri replied looking at the vial. He wasn't sure if it was an inhibitor or a cure.

Dabi and Himiko still didn't understand. Kurogiri remained silent, allowing Izuku to explain. The politician opened the vial and tipped it over. Three pills spilled onto the table.

"There is only one advantage worth noting," Izuku told them. "When QERI was used on Warui, it was experimental, now it isn't. The words are now Quirk Emergency Removal Initiative, and the government will be authorising the use those who repeatedly use their quirks in violence against others."

All three of the villains swallowed at that news. Even Himiko, and she was usually unaffected by everything. Over the years she had mellowed somewhat. Kurogiri was calmer but he knew what the pills represented.

"And the advantage?" Dabi asked, staring at the pills. It almost seemed as if he wanted to burn them.

"I know how to block its effects."

"What?" Himiko breathed.

Kurogiri nodded. Izuku had said that much earlier.

"I know how to block its effects. QERI is effective only on those I want it to be effective on," Imoku said with a sly grin. "Those are inhibitors. While I have absolutely no intentions of letting QERI into the general populace, I want to be prepared, so take your medicine."

Dabi grabbed one of the pills. Himiko wasn't far behind him. Kurogiri moved more slowly. He had more dignity but he swallowed the pill.

"What about the others?" Dabi indicated softly.

"Which ones?" Imoku asked.

Dabi thought for a moment. He knew what Imoku was asking. Just as Imoku planned that no one but his company would use QERI, the cure couldn't become widely known, and it absolutely could not be known that the League was immune. "Twice, Spinner and Ujiko," Dabi said.

"Not Mustard?"

Dabi shook his head. "I think he likes profit," the fire villain said, making a face. "You manipulated us!" He made the mock accusation.

"Of course I did," Imoku replied without any hint of embarrassment. "But you knew I was, and it's not like you haven't enjoyed the results."

At that Dabi was silent, because it was true. He did enjoy being one of the most, if not the most respected Villain in the country. It was mostly because, even if he wasn't, everyone assumed he was overseeing all the League's various underground endeavors. That meant he got credit for controlling Kurogiri when he removed those 4 tonnes of drugs from the docks. He got credit for every time some chick died gruesomely with what Twice was doing. He got it all.

But it wasn't him. It was Imoku.

"Who would have thought that work agreed with us?"

The politician grinned. It was an amusing question. Most people didn't appreciate how much work being a villain really was. He had just harnessed them to jobs they liked.

Dabi gave Imoku a grin. It was partially true, but while he got the credit, he knew Imoku was still ahead of him. He was like his father that way. Imoku was always ahead, but unlike Endeavor, Imoku never really drove it home, not that Dabi had ever considered mutiny. Not seriously, but he knew, Imoku had definitely kept enough of the key people loyal to him, and him alone.

Kurogiri was loyal. Dabi had been surprised at that. He would have thought Kurogiri loyal to Tomura but Imoku had worked his magic there. Ujiko was loyal. Well, she was loyal to her businesses but he knew she'd chose Imoku over him. The warpers were loyal to the politician. Dabi knew he could convince Twice, Mustard and Spinner to follow him. Maybe Toga… No, not Toga, he could convince most of the rank and file but the big hitters, the really big hitters, the Noumu and the warpers would follow Imoku. If it came to a fight… his only chance was to strike preemptively.

Not that he would. Imoku had given him everything he'd ever wanted with the fall of Endeavor. He'd never even have thought about just revealing everything. He had wanted some sort of fight where he won and revealed himself at the end but what had happened… so much better. So much sweeter. He'd played along that it had been part of his plan to Tomura but it had been Imoku's.

Oh yes, he owed him, and Imoku knew it. Apparently he owed him even more now.

"I'll leave extra doses on my coffee table," Imoku agreed, looking at Kurogiri. He knew what to do. He'd pick them up tomorrow.

"I sold that stuff to the Government on the grounds that it will keep society in check. It is for use on repeat offenders but I also convinced them that there should be no pre-existing list of offenders."

"Good!" Dabi said. There was no relief in his voice. He was just that type of man. "You can't give us some for ExplodoKill?"

"I don't think so. At the moment QERI is still quiet. The sheeple haven't realised it's out there, and I'd like to keep it that way. He won't keep his trap shut and since you are going for a kill, it shouldn't matter. Tell High End ExplodoKill will put up a good fight."

Dabi groaned.

"Problems?"

"The usual," he breathed.

Kurogiri knew what that meant. High End was loyal but High End craved combat. He loved fighting and while being the champion in Dabi's fighting ring meant he did get challengers, seldom did they actually put up any kind of decent fight against the Noumu.

"Hmm, I have a free hour in three days time, I'll talk to him then."

"Thanks," Dabi actually meant the word. High End was loyal to Imoku and liked to spend time with the man. It was probably the only time High End wasn't looking for a fight.

"Actually, I'll give you a dose for High End as well," Imoku said slowly.

"Not the others?" It wasn't like the Noumu were in danger of blabbing any secrets.

Izuku appeared to think for a moment but Kurogiri could tell his mind was already made up. "No, I don't think so."

The three League members nodded. The Noumu were useful but at the same time they could be difficult. It might be interesting to see if a quirk removal agent affected them.

"We might have problems with them soon," Dabi murmured.

"Problems?" Imoku asked for clarification.

"I don't think they are as lively as they should be," the fire villain gave the explanation slowly.

Imoku snorted. The Noumu's were individuals who had forcibly been altered. Their creators had assured him they felt no pain but he wasn't convinced of that. He was convinced of very little when it came to the Noumu. "Keep watch, and let me know if things change."

Dabi nodded.

"Do you regret Tomura not killing Overhaul sooner?" Kurogiri asked, moving them back to a different topic. It seemed it was a day to focus on the past.

"Not really," Imoku answered easily. "If he'd been killed in the initial raid then things might have been different. The moment he got away, then this was inevitable."

"What raid?" Dabi demanded. He knew Overhaul was the original source of quirk destroying drugs but he hadn't heard of any raid.

Izuku looked at the quasi leader of the League. "You weren't involved," he told the fire villain. "Nor were you Himiko," he added. "Tomura only used those who were truly in the League, not those who might have followed Stain."

"And this raid?" Toga asked.

The politician shrugged. "It destroyed most of the stock of Overhaul's drug and the source was killed."

"The source?"

"QERI is different. It's synthesized. Overhaul's drug was based on the quirk of a girl named Eri. He used her blood to make his bullets. She's dead. Tomura insured that, but I thought it a nice homage to use her name," Izuku explained.

"Who else knows?" Kurogiri asked. He'd never known the name of the child but if Izuku knew, that meant others would as well.

"Unofficially Overhaul gave his bullets to the government, who gave them to the police, who gave them to heroes, before the League stole them. He gave the government an explanation, including the girls name. The report he gave very much blames the League for her death."

Kurogiri said nothing. They had killed her.

"He made it seem like he was some kind father figure to her, but we all know that wasn't true. Still, that is the past. Those who know the name, know why I named this QERI. Since they believe any member of the League who is captured, will be tried and have QERI used on them, they think it is a fine honour. Overhaul wasn't clear on who actually killed her. I suspect he never knew."

"I don't know either," Kurogiri admitted. He knew it was the League but he didn't know exactly who killed her.

"I think it was Tomura," Izuku said. "Her remains were mostly dust."

"There's no chance he didn't…" Dabi didn't complete the sentence. He didn't like the idea of killing children, which was why he hadn't been included on the first mission.

"None at all," Kurogiri answered for Imoku. Tomura wouldn't have hesitated to kill a child. Nor would Sensei, if it had to be done. And… He looked at Izuku. He would as well. If it had to be done. Tomura wouldn't regret it. Sensei might have regretted the potential destroyed and Izuku… apparently he'd turn the potential into his gain anyway.

"Think of QERI as her legacy, but one you won't have to put up with," Izuku told Dabi and Himiko. It was his very clear dismissal of the situation. It had happened about ten years back. It was old news.

"Now, do you gents and lady need anything?" Imoku asked, moving on to a new topic.

"Oh Izu!" Toga giggled. "You know what I want!"

"No, I am not letting you finger paint me in blood," he replied, laughing.

She whined.

Dabi rolled his eyes at the exchange. Toga was so predictable but he had no idea where she had gotten the pet name for Imoku. Kurogiri just looked on. The bartender had become very used to this sort of thing. Of all of them Toga was the one least suited to regular work. She did it, because it made money, but she slacked off the most of them. It wasn't that bad though, Imoku kept her busy himself spying on things. Kurogiri suspected Toga knew every blind spot in the House of Parliament.

"Nothing?"

"Nah… you've left us pretty well set up," Dabi told him.

"I thought I had," Imoku said, his voice disappointed.

That got attention. "Is there something, Imoku?" Kurogiri asked.

"Ujiko," the politician said the name. "She's been running side businesses." He held up one hand. "I don't mind reasonable profit," Imoku said with a grin.

Dabi and Toga returned his grin. Kurogiri nodded.

"But these are no longer side. They are her main business, and she hasn't been discreet. They are a weakness, and through them, she is a weakness."

"I'll tell her to rein it in," Dabi promised. Ujiko was a valued member of the League, and as a warp quirk user, was one of their assets but she had to obey the rules. This wasn't the first time she'd been somewhat independent. Some independence was expected, and Imoku allowed and encouraged that, but the rules were the rules, and they were for the protection of the entire League. Including her.

Imoku nodded. "I'll put it this way. ExplodoKill will exploit them, and if she gets taken-" The politician shook his head.

They all recognised the implications. If she got taken, then she would be questioned and… Well, there was no telling what would happen from there. She also knew who Imoku was, and Kurogiri expected that he would defend that knowledge savagely.

"I'll talk to her," Dabi promised again more urgently. He knew what the boss was saying.

"Then I'd better go," Imoku said, looking at his watch. After that, he turned and pulled his jacket from the back of the chair before he looked pensive. "Actually there is one more thing."

"Hmm?" Kurogiri asked.

"I doubt you will have a chance, since I'm pretty sure he's given up that sort of thing, but if you do see Lemillion-" at that Imoku waggled his eyebrows, "-take him out."

"You're sure?" Dabi sort confirmation. Imoku had said he'd deal with him.

"Only if you see him out as a vigilante," Imoku clarified. "I'm pretty sure you won't, but if he wants to make it easy, I'm not about to let that opportunity go."

"Even if we are seen?"

"Even if you are seen. But I've read his assessments," Imoku chuckled. "I don't think he will, which is such a pity, especially given his quirk."

Toga laughed at that. "You just want to take it away!"

The look Imoku gave her was odd. Kurogiri didn't know what to think but he knew that there was something else going on there. He reviewed what he knew of Lemillion's quirk. He could phase, Kurogiri remembered because that was one of the things they had been worried about when Tomura planned the attack. And… there was some sort of note that he had a quirk mutation appear late in his high schooling.

Was that what interested Imoku? It had to be. But why would a quirk mutation interest Imoku? What did he know?

"If we see him," the warp villain assured Imoku.

"Good," he nodded. "Though I suspect I'll be dealing with him." Imoku folded his jacket over one arm and downed the last of his beer. By the time he'd finished, Kurogiri had opened a warp gate back to his apartment. Imoku gave them a smile and stepped back before the gate closed.

Most of the League didn't even notice the boss leaving, and that's the way he liked it.

Dabi sighed. "Take out ExplodoKill," he murmured. Kurogiri could see the way his mind was running through the problems that entailed. "Toga," Dabi said, looking over at the young woman.

She grinned at him. "Izu's given me some time," she told him happily. "I'll go find him," she added. They knew who she meant.

The fire villain nodded but Kurogiri saw the way he worried his lip. "Be careful," he said.

"I'm always careful," Himiko scoffed.

"No," Dabi said, his voice serious. "I mean it. Be careful. ExplodoKill doesn't play by the rules, and he's not stupid." There was a genuine note of concern lacing his tone.

Toga picked it up. In the past she would have dismissed Dabi's warning. This time, she just nodded. "I know, Izu's warned me. Trust me, he hates ExplodoKill more than the rest of us."

Kurogiri watched the way Dabi blinked at that. He couldn't see the connection. How did a Member of the House of Representatives even know a vigilante? Kurogiri would be confused himself, if he didn't know Imoku's history. If he didn't know who Imoku was, and know that there was something between the two.

"Why?" Dabi finally asked, his desire to know out weighing what was good manners in villain society.

Himiko grinned at him before she shook her head. "No idea. But if Izu wants him dead, then Izu gets him to be dead," she chirped.

That was more familiar ground for Dabi. Ever since Toga had taken out Tomura, or even before that, there was no question that she was Imoku's girl. Dabi didn't resent it. Imoku was the boss and if he could put up with her, then… well, good luck to him. Though Dabi was sure that Imoku was not banging her simply because Toga never put on airs. So that was something.

"Well, Imoku can have him dead, and then we get to show to the world that we aren't as gone as they'd like."

Toga nodded. Kurogiri gave Dabi an odd look. "You are sure?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're sure you want to give up your day job?" the bartender asked.

The fire villain looked pensive for a moment. "I'm going to have to think about it," he admitted.

Kurogiri nodded, allowing himself to feel amused. It appeared Imoku had domesticated them. Money bought off most, even the League of Villains but… He looked up at those gathered. They were the older members. Those who had been here the longest. Maybe domestication wasn't a bad thing. There were no heroes, good or otherwise. Society was on the way to seeing people as being people, not as being their quirk. So really… maybe remaining as they were was acceptable.

They had, after all, already changed the world. And there weren't many who could claim that.

-afop-

君主 = Kunshu = Overlord Because what else should Izuku's direct business be called?

-afop-


	21. Part 2: Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I still think you should be the one running, Sir," the young man said, as he adjusted his tie. He was a large man and not an ounce was fat. Muscle filled out his suit giving him a look that reminded many of All Might in his prime.

"We discussed this," his companion said. "You'll give the better impression, Mirio."

"But-"

"But nothing," the former Pro-Hero Sir NightEye snapped back before his protege could list reasons. Except he knew some of those reasons were very real concerns. "You are young, which is a good thing. It gives you a point of difference from everyone and allows you to attract the younger voters."

Actually Mirio was more than young. At twenty-eight, he was the youngest candidate in history, But while that made him unusual, it made him very attractive to the younger voters, those who had grown up knowing heroes. And given that Mirio was a former Pro-Hero and his campaign was being managed by other former Pro-Heroes, that just reinforced that image. Anyone wanted to overturn the Heroes Must Be Heroes Legislation was getting on Mirio's bandwagon.

He was careful to say he didn't want to overturn all the legislation, just the later aspects of it. That additions that had turned it from being beneficial, to being constrictive.

"Yes, but I'm not the only young candidate."

Sir NightEye grinned. He knew who Mirio was referring to. Representative Imoku Kakurete was forty-eight, but still looked much younger. His green hair was untouched by grey and he gave off a good impression.

Yet he was the enemy. There was absolutely no doubt about that. Mirio wasn't running directly against Kakurete. That would be political suicide. Kakurete's constituents loved him to the point where the major parties didn't even bother running an alternate candidate against him. A few minor wannabe's tried, and all got crushed.

Mirio was running in a different electorate, one that had been determined to be as close to Kakurete's as possible. Not in distance, but in social make up. Sir NightEye didn't like to admit it, but in this, they really were learning from the enemy.

"Twenty years is a big gap, and once he turns fifty, he's not going to be able to pull off the young and hip routine, no matter how hard he tries."

The response made Mirio smile. Kakurete never mentioned his age, so they were mentioning it as much as possible. When Mirio got elected, they needed the Government to think that _he_ was the voice of the younger generation, not Kakurete. That would then pull attention from Kakurete and provide Mirio the opening to amend the bill. They needed to remind that Government that Kakurete was now closer to the normal age they expected.

It wasn't going to be that easy. They all knew that, but something had to be done.

"There is also some good news," Sir Nighteye continued.

Mirio looked at him. On the stage, the speech was coming to an end and he was on next.

Sir Nighteye grinned. "Aizawa's found someone for… the more physical tasks."

Mirio translated the statement. When he'd agreed to be the face running for the House of Representatives, he'd made those supporting him promise they wouldn't hide anything. He wasn't stupid, and he wasn't naive but he was surprised by how ruthless the former pro-heroes had been when discussing various aspects. The need for someone to do the dirty work had come up. Whoever it was, had to be strong. Their quirk had to be strong and unspoken was that they had to be disposable.

He could not afford to be associated with them, otherwise… the public was a fickle mistress. They could turn against him quickly.

There were quite a few people who fitted into the strong with a strong quirk category. On those grounds Mirio himself was perfect but… he wasn't disposable. Both because he was running, and because of the quirk he'd inherited. Yagi had been pleased to hear the news that All For One had died, but All Might was also concerned that the ancient villain might have passed on his quirk, just as he had passed on his will to the League of Villains.

"Do I know them?"

"Probably not," Nighteye replied. "It's someone who legitimately failed the psyche assessments. Aizawa says he needed help but he did want to be a hero and has turned to vigilantism."

At that Mirio raised one eyebrow. Vigilantes were not tolerated these days. Heroes weren't either but in practice the Police would look the other way if a former Pro-Hero did something to aid in their case. So long as they weren't caught. He had once held a robber in place until the Police arrived. They labeled it a citizen's arrest and forgot to include his name.

He'd felt good when he'd done it. It felt right, even if the law said it wasn't.

"I'll meet him later," Mirio decided.

"Yep," Sir Nighteye agreed. Mirio was on now. "Remember the spiel. In removing heroes we've thrown the baby out with the bathwater. The risk from villains isn't past, and society needs protection."

Mirio nodded, putting on a big smile as he turned away from Sir Nighteye. The crowd cheered as he walked on to the stage.

Sir Nighteye watched his former sidekick with one eye. Most of his attention was on the crowd. They were marketing Mirio as a political All Might. It was a risk. Physically, Mirio could pull off the kind of stunts All Might had. He had the quirk after all, and his own one. But politically… No, they were well aware that the All Might of politics was Imoku Kakurete.

Who they suspected as being part, if not the Leader, of the League of Villains. Aizawa had the theory but no proof. Events over the years supported the theory but Kakurete could simply be very good at reading the mood of the public. It was better to accept the simple explanation over conspiracy.

Though if he was the Leader, he was doing a very, very good job of controlling them. In the wake of the Vote, the Police and Military had been braced for assaults by the League. A few heroes had been as well, and their activities would have been overlooked if the League attacked. They did nothing. They went to ground.

And then Tomura Shigaraki's body appeared. Speculation had been intense then, that the League was infighting. It wouldn't be the first time a villainous group had fallen apart after getting what they wanted. When no other bodies appeared, it became clear it had been a coup. Whoever was in charge, knew what they were doing. The League didn't attack. The Police and Military relaxed and society moved on from the Vote.

The lack of attacks was the best move the League could make then. No attacks meant no questioning from the public and life went on.

Of course, underground heroes did track the League, some of them at least. They were found to be entering employment. None of it legitimate but enough to make money. The underground heroes couldn't do anything about it and the Police were instructed not to act. Sir Nighteye still didn't know where that order had come from. After all, what the League was doing was still illegal even if it wasn't as spectacularly destructive as their usual ploys.

But life moved on. Sir Nighteye sighed. Even if Kakurete was not the Leader of the League, one thing was known. Kakurete had drafted the Heroes Must Be Heroes bill, which had then morphed and changed until the Vote. After that, he had suggested ways of dismantling the system even quicker. He might only have intended the HMBH Bill to be something to guarantee the mental stability of heroes, but he hadn't held back when it became more. Guilt by association. He was the enemy, in a political sense. The Government, those members of the ruling party, they would follow whatever got them votes and popularity.

They had to show it was no longer Kakurete.

Sir Nighteye smiled, when some of the crowd looked at him. Then he discreetly pointed towards Mirio. They were meant to be paying attention to him! The mother looked slightly guilty, then grinned at him before turning her attention back to Mirio. Still, he hoped the interaction, such as it was would leave a positive impression on her. That's what they had to do.

"Sir." The stage whisper caught his attention.

Sir Nighteye turned. His smile slid from his face as he recognised the speaker. Mikko Kusha was a snitch. At the moment, she was on their side, and payments were being made to ensure she remained on their side. She was a public servant in the Department of Justice.

"You have something?" He demanded.

They'd agreed earlier that pleasantries just wasted time, and they couldn't afford the connection to be known.

Mikko handed hm a thin sheaf of documents. "You need to look at BioSimip Industries, and what they are making for the Department of Justice."

"It's good?" he asked.

"If you can find the right connections, it's pure gold," she told him.

Sir Nighteye nodded and Mikko backed away. It appeared he had some research to do. It was a good thing he was good at it. He was better at research than he was at looking into the future. He huffed. It wasn't something he'd ever let Mirio see. The boy had just gotten over blaming himself and he was somewhat thankful that Mirio didn't ask questions.

Others had, and Sir Nighteye had no answers for them.

He'd never seen this future.

-afop-

Masami Satou looked down at her phone when it beeped. She flicked it to silent before looking at the message. _How is your campaign going, Masami?_ A smile spread over her features as she read it. Imoku was always so thoughtful. She glanced at the time. She had time to reply now, though Kakurete would understand if she didn't. So how was her campaign going…

 _Not as good as yours, but no one has your numbers. How do you do it?_ All polling in his region had Imoku leading by a huge margin. He would win by a landslide. He was the Representative for literally the safest seat in the country. It hadn't been the safest when he'd taken it. Imoku had made it that way.

 _Trade secret._

Masami rolled her eyes, giving a brief snort of laughter at the reply. _We are in the same trade._ She couldn't help but point out the obvious.

 _Independent secret? :D_ She could see the smirk on his face with his reply. The big grin smiley was not needed. It hardly seemed right to think it but Imoku was a ratbag at times!

Masami sighed before she typed her reply. _If I thought I'd have any chance as an independent, you know I'd do it._ Well… she'd think about it at least. There were days when Imoku seemed to do so much more than she did.

 _And give up the position as Foreign Minister?_ There was a lot of doubt in the single text.

 _Okay, maybe not._ There might be days when Imoku seemed to do more than she did, but he didn't deal with the rest of the world the way she did. That was something Masami knew she'd never experience as an Independent. She had to stay with her party for that, and she had been rewarded… No, stuff that! She'd earned her Ministry. She'd worked her butt off for it.

 _You aren't in any danger are you?_ There was real concern in the text. The jovial atmosphere of earlier disappearing.

Masami decided to play it up. _Are you offering to help?_ If he could tell her how he kept such good a good relationship with his constituents, that would be a win. That would be something she could tell everyone in her party! Of course… they'd probably use it to try to challenge Kakurete, and then he'd do something outrageous and win back his seat.

 _And how would I help? Our electorates are very separate._ Oh, there was a sting there. It was subtle but she could read it. It sounded like an offer to help, or to assist and Masami knew he would help if he could, but, there would be a price. Still he could help her out in other ways, ways that didn't require a political favour.

 _You do get the best advertising rates_

 _Ah._ The single word conveyed so much meaning. He saw where she was going now.

 _So?_ Masami prompted. If Kakurete could help, she wasn't going to say no. And he could help with advertising.

 _Kunshu owns them, but Kunshu doesn't interfere with their running._ Masami could hear his huff. Imoku didn't have to type the words for her to read the prefix 'Must I remind you again'. Imoku's ownership of Kunshu was well known. Kunshu's ownership of other companies was equally well known, as was the fact that Kunshu was merely the owner of stock. Kunshu didn't have a commanding voice in the operations of the companies it owned. Though, there was equally no doubt that if Imoku truly wanted, he could persuade the companies to do things.

 _Which is why you have full page spreads!_ At least, he had them in his electorate, and he had a great deal of area specific net advertising. It was one of the reasons polling was so favourable for Kakurete.

 _Paid for legitimately out of my advertising budget._ That much was true, and was known. Campaign budgets had to be declared. As an independent, Imoku didn't have to get approval for his but as an independent they were scrutinised to ensure that he was spending any political donations wisely. And that said donations were properly declared and legal.

… Masami couldn't help but give that reply. He had to rub it in. She had a budget as well. But… Imoku texted a reply before she could become indignant.

 _I could help you with budgeting if you want._

It was a generous offer but she couldn't take it up, and Kakurete knew it. _Party member, remember. Can't change the ratios they deem best._ There were good and bad points to that. The party had established ratios on the amount and what to spend it on. They were approved, and most of the parties used a similar ratio. It meant they weren't accusing each other of impropriety as much, when each spent the money the same way.

 _Well, their ratios are wrong._ He pointed it out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Masami smiled again at her phone, already typing her reply. _Given your results, I can't argue._ No one could argue with Kakurete's election results.

He didn't reply straight away and Masami checked the time. She was up soon but it felt wrong to just put her phone away now.

 _I just checked the numbers, you will be fine, Ms Minister._ Ah, so that's what he was doing, checking the opinion polls for her electorate. On those at least, as he had pointed out, she was winning by a comfortable margin.

 _I hope so Mr Independent, though I probably will be Ms Shadow Minister soon enough._ She was winning by a comfortable margin in her electorate. Others in her party weren't going anywhere near as well.

… _yeah, probably. You've had a good run though._ Imoku never sugar coated the truth.

At that, she sighed, before replying. _It will be odd to be in opposition. You forget, I've never been there._ Kakurete was right. They had had a very good run. And that was partially why others weren't doing as well. To the public, Masami thought they just felt stale. They had gotten through quite a few major changes for the country, such as the reintegration of heroes, and the public had supported that for the last ten years but now they wanted a change. Still, Masami was proud of what they had achieved. The country was in a good position, and that's really all any government could boast about.

 _As an Independent, I'm always in opposition._ He always had a counter.

 _BS! You are one of the best connected in politics._ Did Imoku really think that Independents had lunch with the Prime Minister as much as he did? Did he believe that they were as involved in policy as he was? No. She knew he didn't. Masami knew that Kakurete was aware of how well connected he was, but sometimes he needed to be reminded of that fact. And sometimes he needed to be brought back to earth!

 _Well, even when you are Ms Shadow Minister, I'll still talk to you!_ Oh! He'd deliberately riled her up! She could feel his laugh in there reply.

Time was nearly up though. She smiled at the phone and typed her response. _I know you will. Anyway, I have a speech, and you probably have something to do._ Imoku always had something to do. He was probably the busiest Representative of them all, because he still managed to run his companies, on top of a full Government schedule.

 _True. Good luck with the speech._ It was a kind send off. Masami knew Imoku meant it. He wasn't just typing it.

 _Thanks._

She checked again that her phone was on silent before slipping it into her pocket. Masami nodded to herself as she smoothed her skirt. Even as busy as he was, Imoku made time to talk to her. He made time for her, and her party. He was her friend in a place where she'd been told she would have no friends. Imoku was special, and Masami appreciated that. It's one of the reasons she helped him where she could, because he helped her.

He was a good man. She was proud to call him friend. And she knew, no matter how the election went, he'd still call her friend. In politics, that was rare but that was Imoku.

He was, somehow, impossibly, everyone's friend.

-afop-

Toga was thankful that her Izu insisted she remain fit even though the League wasn't as publically active as they had been. If she wasn't, she would never have kept up. When she'd volunteered to follow ExplodoKill, she hadn't realised how fit the vigilante was. He could move! And he had to stop every now and then to check if there was something he could poke his nose into. She was just following.

This was exhausting.

The other thing she was thankful for was that Izu had insisted on finding the limit of her quirk. Himiko had thought she had a good idea of what she could do.

She knew nothing.

The politician was endlessly curious. He wanted to know everything. And he had many opportunities to ask, and to experiment in the evenings after they ate, when he was visiting his 'mother'. He would never answer how he got some of the blood, but in the first few weeks, there was always several vials of blood waiting for her.

Toga had learned a lot then. She had learned she could change from person to person, without going through her natural form. She learned how long she could remain in one form and she learned exactly how much blood she needed to transform.

Izuku gave her efficiency, and never once berated her for wanting to cut things. His only specification if she wanted to cover him in blood was that it wasn't his blood. No one else would ever get away with such a request. Handsy hadn't. Fire didn't. Misty cheated and never let blood on to him. Izuku didn't mind. And he made her efficient.

He also made sure she was always properly equipped. He was different from Handsy. He always made sure they all had the right equipment. When he'd asked her who she would follow, it wasn't even a competition.

Toga licked at a pre-prepared slide and felt her features shift.

Just in time. ExplodoKill looked back. His eyes traced over her, and Himiko could feel the red orbs judging her. Oh! She wanted to make him covered in blood. It would teach him to look down on her. Toga could tell he looked down on everyone. Even those he saved. He saw no one as an equal.

She licked another slide, shifting again. It was tedious, and her clothing didn't change with her quirk but Izu had made her deal with that as well. She always wore pants these days. Reversible. Along with shirts and jackets that were all reversible. There was always a scarf or something in her kit too. It gave her versatility and she had gotten away with… Well, more than the Police knew.

It was a high. It was a thrill. It was joy. And she loved the fact that Izu had given it to her. No questions, no judgements. His questions were so she got better. His judgements were to assess her skill. He was so much better than Handsy.

Himiko looked back to ExplodoKill. She blinked. He wasn't there. A glance told her the blond wasn't anywhere she could see.

"Gotcha!"

Instinct made her duck. Toga felt the ping of debris hit her back, even as she rolled forward. She pulled one of her knives and slashed haphazardly. It hit nothing.

"Dumb bitch," ExplodoKill growled. "Didn't even notice I was bringing you here."

At that, Himiko looked around. Shit, she knew what he meant now. There was no one around. Except… Toga giggled. "This is my area," she told him as she turned to face the vigilante.

They were in a bad part of the city. It was the area the League made their own. Except Toga knew that the League wasn't here at the moment. It was just her and him because no by standing idiot would get involved.

He snorted at her. "I'm not stupid."

Toga looked at him. He was reasonably handsome and very well muscled. The vigilante had wild, spiky hair and sharp red eyes. There were several scars visible, going under his costume. That was to be expected given his line of work. He wore heavy boots and had something around his neck. He didn't have any gloves but did have gauntlets. She remembered him from the time Handsy kidnapped him. The gauntlets were much smaller now.

Himiko pulled one of her other knives. She resisted the urge to lick at the slide that was inbuilt into the guard. Izu had made her find out how well she could fight in the shapes she could assume. She already knew she didn't get any of their Quirk ability, just their appearance, but Toga now knew she did get a proportion of their strength. Each of her knives had a different slide of blood built in. Each slide was someone different, giving her some advantage.

There was even one that had… urgh! She was not going to use that one. A girl had some limits.

Except… Izu had forced her to know one more thing. Her limits. Looking into the mad red eyes, Toga wasn't sure she could win.

Everyone thought she was insane, and maybe she was but she knew her limits. She knew what she was capable of. The man in front of her… he was mad. There was a light in his eyes that said he'd go through anything.

Himiko didn't let the smile fade from her features. "Just looking, Explody," she told him.

"Yeah, well you can look at this," he snarled, driving one hand forward. Toga could actually see the explosions on his palm.

She ducked under the punch, but didn't see the kick that caught her side. Himiko tumbled. It was no worse than sparing with Dabi or one of the others, though the vigilante was strong.

"You could go easy," she muttered. "I was only looking," Toga repeated.

He grinned at her. It was not a nice grin. His canines caught on his lip. "Oh, I don't think so. You're gonna tell me everything about your slime ball fucker of a boss."

"You could always just ask Dabi, you know!" Himiko replied lightly. "You are a vigilante. We have some things in common." Not that this vigilante would ever join with the League but she needed some time. She kept her eyes on him but split her attention, examining everything she could see. There was a laneway behind him, and several rusty fire escapes. She could… No. she couldn't. This moron could use his quirk to extend his jumping. Putting herself up high just made it more convenient for her to have an accident.

That left the ground. Toga didn't like it, but she was a villain, and she was a true villain. She had no pride, except for the next hit. And Izu needed her.

"Not that shit," ExplodoKill growled. "Your real fucking boss, Izuku."

With her Quirk, Himiko Toga was a born actress. She had no tells. "Who?" Even if she did, she wouldn't betray Izu!

She knew she'd given nothing away but ExplodoKill's expression didn't change. He didn't even blink at her confusion. Which meant he must know some other way… but she wasn't going to confirm it for him.

"That fucking Deku!" He charged.

Toga was ready for him this time. She dodged, avoiding his foot, and this time she gave him a slight push before she ran. Knowing when to fight was what made someone a good villain. It was time for her to run.

"Bitch!" ExplodoKill screamed, and Himiko felt the rush of hot air on her back. He was fast and he wasn't afraid of injuring her.

Well, she wasn't afraid of injuring him! She kept running, reaching into a pocket to pull out a fist full of ball bearings. She dropped them as she ran.

It was nice to hear him slip. It wouldn't be enough to lose him. It gave her distance. Toga ploughed into one of the doors. It gave and she found herself in darkness. She dropped the last of her ball bearings as she moved into the room. She looked around.

Stair well. There. Himiko ran towards it. She pulled out her heavy knife. It was the one with the special blood. Toga jumped down the stairs, going into the basement. There was a roar of anger from behind her. ExplodoKill had found the new set of ball bearings. She looked around desperately and was pleased to see a gatic point. Toga went over to it, and knelt down, putting her hand on it, before she brought the knife to her lips. Explosions came from above her as Toga sucked on the blood.

Her shape shifted, growing larger. She felt muscles form and her hair disappeared. Her clothes didn't rip and for this form she just went with a small loincloth. It didn't need anything else. ExplodoKill leapt down the stairs. Toga snarled. The sound reverberated from deep within her and she was pleased when the vigilante froze for an instant.

She rose, the hand that was on the gatic ripped it up, cracking the concrete. Himiko flung the cover at ExplodoKill. He exploded it. And then gasped. "What?"

"That's just rude," Toga growled, grabbing at the concrete. She hurled it at him. Again he exploded it. "Careful," she warned. The smell of sewage filled the room. From what she could see from the corner of her eye, it was main line. Himiko knew from Izu that you weren't meant to build over main lines, but this was a bad part of town. Little things like planning rules were overlooked.

That got his attention. "Bitch!" ExplodoKill raged. "What the fuck are you?" He added.

Himiko knew what she looked like. It felt odd. This form was literally muscles upon muscles but it always made her feel itchy. Things weren't where they were meant to be. It was partially because the form was male but mostly because it was Noumu. She had to remember not to scratch at her head and the exposed brain.

But the advantage of this form was that it was strong and intimidating. She didn't have any of the Noumu's real power, and it was going to be a pain trying to get a refill for her knife but for this moment it was worth it. And she would be able to do a bit more than just run. She had her pride, and Izu wanted this one dead!

She picked up more concrete and flung it towards the vigilante. He dodged. At least he recognised the danger and Himiko was forced to admit he was far more flexible than she thought. And dangerous.

ExplodoKill advanced, murder in his eyes. What stopped this moron?

She grabbed a larger piece of concrete. It was nice being able to pick it up easily. Toga swung it like a club but ExplodoKill was faster. He dodged and then threw a punch. She was expecting it and blocked with the Noumu's strength. The shock reverberated through her system. He didn't have a strength quirk but he trained.

"You fucking bitch are coming with me," he growled.

"You're not cute at all." Toga swung one huge arm, hoping to catch the vigilante but he was ready and countered with a kick. She was stronger, but it was false strength and she knew if she stayed much longer… She drove the Noumu's claws towards his face. Maybe she'd get lucky. Again he countered, but Himiko was ready for that and she jumped back to the sewer hole.

This was going to be gross, but better than the vigilante. The huge form splashed into the muck. It was warm. It was foul. She hated this. He was going to pay! At least he didn't follow. Himiko moved quickly, splashing through the muck. She kept her ears open for the sounds of pursuit.

It came but she was ready for that. She turned into a connecting line. It was slightly smaller. The bulk of her form almost touched the walls but she could move freely still. She moved down the pipe and listened. He was still following. At least there were no explosions. ExplodoKill had that much self restraint.

Toga pulled a large knife. She readied it. ExplodoKill lunged around the corner. She threw her knife.

The vigilante raised his hands, and Himiko laughed when the knife thunked into one. She didn't wait for any response. "Bitch!" The scream came from behind her.

Hopefully he'd pull back. She picked another adjoining pipe and squeezed into it. The smell was terrible but she couldn't focus on that. Instead, Toga pulled one of her prepared slides and licked the blood. It gave her a smaller form. She moved faster.

Another line, it was was getting too small now and she spotted a manhole.

"Bitch!" the scream reverberated through the tunnels.

Himiko jumped for the shaft, her hands gripping the rungs of the ladder and she hauled herself upwards. At least her hands were dry but her feet slipped when they landed on the steps. She adapted, pushing them up against the sides so that they couldn't slip further. She moved as fast as she could and threw her shoulder against the cover when she reached it. It was smaller than the cover she'd used the Noumu's form to lift. It moved slightly and Toga peered out. A road way. It couldn't have been that far from where they had been. She pushed it further and hauled herself out, looking around.

She was covered in filth. That was the secondary issue. Toga cocked her head. She couldn't hear the vigilante but had to get under cover. She licked at another slide, this time letting the liquid paste that covered her melt away entirely. Thankfully most of the muck went with it, and she delicately stepped over the splashes as she made her way to the footpath. Once there, she ran, passing several laneways before she turned down one.

Toga leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. She waited for a few moments before peeking around the corner. She watched the manhole cover. The road was relatively quiet but a car had already noticed the hole. The driver had stopped before crashing and was currently trying to push the cover back.

Himiko smiled. She'd done it. She placed one hand on her chest as her heart beat returned to normal. Sure, she hadn't killed him but she'd gotten away. That was something. And she had information for Izu! Somehow the vigilante knew who he really was. How did that happen? Toga didn't know but Izu would. Izu knew everything.

And Izu deserved everything. She had to tell him.

Whistling, Himiko continued down the lane. She had a good story to tell.

-afop-

Mirio's phone pinged. He looked down at it. The message was from Sir.

 _I have it!_

He frowned and typed back. _What is it?_

The dots to indicate that Sir NightEye was replying appeared immediately. _An informant told me to look at BioSimip Industries and the Department of Justice._

That meant he had information. _What information?_

His mind was going over what he knew of BioSimip Industries and Mirio had to admit it wasn't much. It wasn't anything actually. He'd never heard of the company and he wondered what they had to do with the Department of Justice. With a name like 'bio' it was pretty obvious they weren't a law firm.

 _I'll tell you tonight._

Mirio frowned at that. When they were heroes, keeping information back was a bad thing. _You're sure?_

 _Positive. He doesn't even know I'm looking._ The House of Representatives Candidate frowned at his phone. That type of answer was one given when things usually went wrong. There was only one reply he could give.

…

Mirio could almost see Sir Nighteye's huff. It wouldn't be obvious. Infact, most would miss it but he knew his former boss was thinking it. _That will change when you announce this. I am being careful._ There was no italic on the message but there should have been. Mirio could hear the stress on the 'am'.

That wasn't the point. _I don't want you hurt._ That was the core of the matter. He didn't want Sir Nighteye hurt any further, especially not on what was meant to be a research run. They were dealing with dangerous foes, enemies who wouldn't hesitate and who thought nothing of killing. The just hid it better than traditional villains.

 _It wasn't your fault. I've told you that before. I'll tell you that again. As many times as it takes._

Ouch. He could feel Sir Nighteye's frustration through the phone but it didn't matter what the former pro-hero thought. _It was my fault._

Somehow the dots on the screen showed the way his former mentor sighed. _There was nothing that could be done differently. And it's nice._ The message came quickly.

 _Nice? You lost your quirk! It's not nice._ Without actually going to a voice call, that was about as well as Mirio could express himself, and there had to be some reason Sir Nighteye had texted him rather than called him.

 _It is nice, sometimes. Not to see the future. Not to know that there is nothing you can't change._

He hadn't expected that answer. And Mirio reluctantly admitted to himself that maybe Sir Nighteye had a point. He had never thought about what it meant to see the future. Except… Sir Nighteye had never mentioned that the future could change. On the few times they had discussed it, he had been adamant that nothing could change his visions. _Is this the future you saw?_

…

Another answer he wasn't expecting but it would be too easy to let Sir Nighteye just leave it at that. This was more important. _Is this the future you saw?_ Mirio repeated his earlier text.

 _No._

Mirio waited for further explanation. He stared at his phone. The dots remained there but nothing came. A minute passed. Two. Then three. Then the dots disappeared. He waited some more. It wasn't the easiest topic but he was owed answers. After ten minutes, he typed a reply. Sir Nighteye owed him that much of an answer. Especially given that he hadn't said anything before. This was meant to be what he saw… if it wasn't, why hadn't he said anything. _What? I thought you saw this for me?_

There was a long break before the next answer but Mirio could see the dots that indicated Sir Nighteye was at least looking at the screen. He wondered what was so hard to answer. _I never saw All Might living past Kamino. I never saw this particular future. I never knew that my visions could be changed. But they can. Which is why no longer having them is a blessing. I have no expectation. I have no preconception of what should happen. That means I can focus on what I want to happen._

Mirio read the text several times. He shivered. He never knew that Sir had seen that future for All Might. Yagi was… Yagi was still injured, and frail but he was still definitely alive. Medical science had worked wonders on the former number one hero. But had Sir Nighteye just admitted the future could be changed? He had practically admitted it previously but this felt different. Seeing it in text, not just implied made it all the more real but Mirio needed confirmation. _So, something has changed?_

 _Something has changed._ Sir Nighteye knew how to state the obvious… and how to text without saying anything. Mirio had to remind himself to be gentle with his phone before he broke it. The case was reinforced, but he could still crush it into a marble if he wanted.

 _What changed?_ He typed, stabbing his finger at the keypad just lightly enough that it didn't break the screen. It took a lot of restraint on his part.

The dots reappeared… and then, the message did.

…

"What?" Mirio exclaimed! But before he could text another response, another message from Sir Nighteye appeared.

 _I don't know._

It was Mirio's turn to reply with the dots! …

Then he sighed heavily, and typed a more reasonable response. Something more important. _Do the others know?_

The reply was quick. _They've never asked. Knowing the future is not that much of a gift._

That really wasn't satisfying. Something drastic must have happened if they weren't in the future Sir Nighteye had seen but Mirio really didn't know what that event might have been. There was only one person he could think of who might have changed things, and he was someone who'd been dead for years. All Might's nemesis, All For One. The ancient villain might have done something except… what? He'd been incarcerated for years. Or was it the man they were now trying to bring down? Imoku Kakurete. He was a businessman, not the usual foe for a hero but he had influenced the world so much. It could have been him too because Sir Nighteye wouldn't have considered him when looking into the future. _Do you think it's him? Have you ever thought about what has changed? Is it Kakurete?_

Mirio could almost hear his mentor sigh. _I don't think it's him alone. It's probably something All For One has done. Maybe something All Might did. We will never know. It's best not to think about it. On that, I know._ Again there were no italics in the text, but Mirio could read them loud and clear. Sir would know what it meant to worry about the future, and the response displayed that he had thought about it. Both suspects were mentioned but neither could be confirmed… Or it could be someone else, someone they never even thought of. The future was a bit like time, there were so many theories but no one knew which was true.

 _I don't like it._ He really didn't like it.

 _Focus on the future. Don't think of the past because it is the past, and we have to look to the future._

Mirio could see Sir Nighteye's smile through the phone and gave the only reply he could. _I'll try._

-afop-


	22. Part 2: Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"You're watching that again?" Kasen asked his boss.

Dabi waved off his underling, and continued watching the TV. Kazue Matsushita was on screen. She was still a journalist but now had her own show, interviewing politicians and others of interest. She was dressed sharply in a tailored suit and sat in a trendy chair. Across the small table, sat Representative Imoku Kakurete. He wore a similarly tailored suit but wore it with such aplomb that he made it seem completely natural. Sitting beside Kazue, he was far more in control. The ribbon badge that marked him as a Representative was affixed to his left breast pocket where a rose might have sat if he'd been a normal businessman.

"I don't get why you watch that boss," Kasen said. He'd said it before when Dabi watched politics. For the Leader of the… Acting Leader of the League, he had a big interest in politics. "And Toga is here."

Dabi nodded. His underlings might not understand why he watched politics but he did. He did it to gain insight into Imoku and he couldn't do it in person. Anything the man told him had to be viewed from multiple angles. The only time Imoku was straight forward was with orders to the League. Dabi waved as Himiko walked in. She was spinning her large knife around one finger. It was a blatant hint that he hadn't yet replaced the blood vial in it. "Where have you been?" Dabi demanded.

"The boss wanted a couple of things," she replied.

Dabi jerked his eyes away from the screen. Kazue was just beginning the interview and it would be small talk for a while. His motion was enough for her to explain.

"He wanted to know about ExplodoKill the other day," she said. While Himiko was more than happy to call Imoku Izu, something Dabi didn't fully understand, she was always careful when others were around. Most didn't expect that. They saw the exuberant woman and never looked deeper. Dabi knew better. Toga was as much a villain, and as skilled as them all, in her own way.

Kasen looked fascinated. This was not the first time he'd heard one of the League's Executives refer to the boss, but it was always interesting how casual they were about it. He had no idea who the man might be. He wanted to know.

"You explained?"

Toga nodded. "As much as I could. He wasn't alone."

"He's never alone." As a Member of the House of Representatives Imoku was seldom alone. That's why Himiko worked with him the most. She could change her appearance to fit in and Dabi knew that Imoku had provided her with several blood slides to ensure she looked appropriate. She probably had a position as one of his staffers.

"It's still good that you got away." He said, referring to the other day. She'd sat in that chair then and he'd had it replaced since then. The smell of the sewer just did not wash out.

"He can't explodokill in a sewer," Himiko reminded him. "Though are you going to replace it?" She brought out her knife again.

"Maybe," was all he said. It was going to be annoying to replace the blood. High End did not like bleeding, except in the ring.

"Yeah… but there was something odd," Himiko said seriously. "I didn't tell you last time, 'cos I wanted to tell the boss first."

Dabi jerked his head at Kasen. The man looked disappointed but knew better than to complain. Dabi glanced to the TV. Imoku was still smiling and was answering something. From the way he was gesturing they were still talking about easy things. The door closed.

"What was odd?" he asked after he was sure Kasen was gone. This particular room was sound proofed, but he knew there were quirks that could get around that. He watched the shadow of the man move down the corridor.

"He knew about Imoku."

"What? How?" Dabi demanded, half rising.

This was bad. This was very bad.

Though… If the vigilante knew, why hadn't he told anyone? He might be a vigilante but Dabi was sure he had at least some legitimate contacts.

"I don't know. It's not like he was going to tell me!" Himiko replied.

Dabi nodded. Maybe this was why Imoku wanted ExplodoKill taken out. Actually, that made a lot of sense. And, as always with Imoku, there were layers that he could see. Having the League become active again taking out a vigilante meant that while the public would still see them as villains, initially they wouldn't be dangerous villains. It was a subtle difference but it would give them time.

"Did he say anything about why ExplodoKill would know him?" Dabi asked.

"No," Himiko replied. "Though Izu said the brat probably fished in the right places."

That didn't sound like Imoku but Dabi resolved to ask him himself. Later.

Dabi rolled his eyes. "Are you ever going to explain that?"

"Explain what?"

"Izu? His name is Imoku!"

"Imoku is too formal!" Toga told him. "Izu is so much more fun!"

No. She wasn't going to explain it. He knew Izu was short for Izuku, since Himiko had once called him that but he didn't know anything else. Given Imoku's response that time and her chimed 'only in private' it must be a pet name… But he would like to know the origin. Not that badly though.

Dabi turned up the sound on the TV knowing he'd get nothing more. And if Himiko hadn't gotten away from ExplodoKill as cleanly - he winced at the thought of that word especially with the air fresheners still in the room to cover the sewer smell - then the vigilante would still have had to fight through his guards before getting here.

"-QERI?" Kazue said.

Himiko wasn't the only one to jerk at the word. It was fair to say that they both had the same reaction. When had that become public!?

On screen Imoku displayed no reaction. "Ah, the new initiative of the Justice Department," he said easily. "I believe young Toogata had been inflating the case somewhat. I think what the public should be focused on is the simple fact, that if they have done nothing wrong, then there is nothing to fear."

"But destroying quirks?" Kazue sounded horrified.

Imoku sat back in his chair. "QERI has been designed to be used only in the most heinous cases. Those of repeat offenders, where no amount of therapy or rehabilitation will work."

Dabi winced. He knew what that meant. Their cases. The Leagues. Except Imoku had given them immunity.

"And, we already have something like it," Imoku continued. "We have quirk suppressant drugs and quirk suppressant cuffs. There's even an implanted drug. QERI is merely the next step."

"So why don't we just go with those?" Kazue asked.

Imoku looked tired. "Because there have been cases where repeat offenders have been equipped with an implanted suppressant and they just cut it out," he said delicately. "QERI can't be cut out, it cannot be removed, and so the problem of a repeat quirk offender using their quirk to hurt anyone ever again is solved."

"You aren't afraid it will become something like the bullet that was used to suppress Sir Nighteye's quirk?"

Dabi snorted. Himiko wasn't as restrained. She chuckled. They remembered that.

"No, I'm not." He shook his head artfully. His green curls swayed with the movement. "While I am only peripherally involved with BioSimip Industries, I know that their security is good. They create QERI only when the Department of Justice orders a dose, and the formula is kept under lock and key. Unlike the unfortunate incident with Sir Nighteye, it will not be stolen."

"We should do it!" Himiko interrupted, almost singing the words.

"Do what?" Dabi asked. He knew if he ignored Toga when she was like this, he wouldn't hear anything of the interview. He touched the remote to record what was left. He'd have to watch it later, after Toga was gone.

"Steal the formula," she continued singing.

Dabi drew a long suffering breath. "That won't help his position," he pointed out.

Himiko giggled. "We won't actually steal it," she said. "I doubt we could get past the security."

He gave her a look. With the Noumu they could just ram straight through it.

"It's not a physical thing we want. We'd have to access the servers," Toga reminded him. They didn't have much skill in that.

"An attack won't actually help Imoku," Dabi pointed out again.

"A failed attack will."

He blinked. A failed attack. It went against everything he'd ever learned but… what would it do. It would highlight QERI but apparently someone was already doing that. It would show it was protected and it would reveal the League.

But they were about to reveal themselves anyway. Imoku had said they could go wild when they took out ExplodoKill, and given what he'd done to Himiko, Dabi had a feeling that would be sooner rather than later. He tapped his finger on the remote as he thought.

"I don't think Imoku would like one of his businesses attacked." It was an unspoken rule that in as far as possible, the League didn't attack the businesses Imoku owned. It wasn't a big problem. He didn't own that many they would be interested in.

"It would show that QERI is secure. It would also bring ExplodoKill's focus to us, which is what we want."

"He's already hunting us." Dabi felt obliged to point out. She had been sitting there a few days back, stinking of a sewer because of the fact he was hunting them.

"So we have to be seen every now and then, to keep his interest. Besides, it's not like it's going to be a true attack. We just have to be seen, raise a ruckus and then retreat."

"I don't like failing." It was bad for the League.

She gave him a look. It wasn't failing if it was helping Imoku, and if it was contributing to making sure ExplodoKill found them - when they were ready for it.

"All right," he sighed. "We'll do it." The fall out wouldn't be that bad.

"Yay!" Himiko cheered.

"Now, go away while I plan how we will lose this," Dabi ordered.

Toga grinned at him before she rose and left the room.

He huffed, and looked over to the TV and grimaced. The interview had ended. Sometimes Himiko had the worst timing.

-afop-

Katsuki was bored. He understood he needed to take some time to heal after that bitch put a knife through his hand, but he'd been checked out. Despite being in a sewer, he was clean. He'd caught nothing and in a few days his hand would be better. It was currently bandaged. They had no one with a healing quirk but there were acceleration drugs and he had managed to get some of them.

At least Aizawa had managed to find something for him to do, but it was boring. He was acting as a guard for some company called BioSimip Industries. He wasn't even an important guard. He got the foyer. That was it. The way the others looked at him, they thought he wasn't even worth that.

Eh, they were all extras. He was only staying here because BioSimip Industries produced quirk destroying drugs. Well… according to Mirio they did, but according to Deku they only did it when the government ordered it. He'd been far too smug when he'd said that. Bakugou had wanted to reach through the TV and explode him.

He comforted himself that Deku would fall. It would just take time and he was part of the team working on shortening that time.

That didn't make this any less boring.

If the League had any sense, they weren't going to attack here. It was too easily predicted. But the League were villains and villains were stupid. Except Deku… Deku was worthless but Katsuki had to begrudgingly admit that he wasn't stupid.

They weren't going to att-

The thought died as he glanced at the security screens. The foyer security point wasn't at reception. No one would want him on Reception anyway. He was honest enough to admit it, and he didn't want to be there either. Instead, the security room was behind reception, in a room lined with screens. Part of the wall behind reception was the door, and this entire room was designed like a panic room. The receptionist, if threatened could retreat here. And he could see everything outside.

Others could too. There were other security points with the same feeds but Katsuki was sure he was the first to see it.

On one of the feeds there was a man. Medium build. Blond. He had two day stubble and there was a scar or something running up his forehead. He looked stressed but not so stressed that anyone would notice him.

Bakugou remembered him. Twice.

He hit one of the silent alarms. It was not so much an alarm as a warning alarm. It sent a message to the main security point. While he was happy dealing with this himself, Aizawa had been insistent that he follow BioSimip's protocol.

The phone rang. "What is it?" the voice was bored. They were going through the motions.

"There's a member of the League outside," he report.

"For fucks sake, newbie, keep your reports real!"

Katsuki growled at the response. "Listen here, you shit, when you get kidnapped by those fuckers, you tend to remember them. One of them is outside, and where there is one, you can beat there are othe-"

He never finished the sentence. There was a huge roar from outside and something crashed through the front glass doors. Even in a world where people could be large, it was enormous, and black and strong… It was one of the fucking Noumu's! Bakugou didn't recognise it specifically but he knew what the exposed brain meant.

The receptionist screamed, and the rest of the rats that infested the reception scattered. At least they were that intelligent. As part of Hero Studies, they had to learn about crowd control and how, originally the moronic public had been hurt because they strayed too close. Eventually they'd been trained to keep their distance.

With the removal of Heroes, the public had quickly forgotten safe distances but when their arses were on the line, they could scurry like rats.

The Noumu wasn't interested in them. It seemed to have been used as a tank. Several members of the League followed in its wake. Dabi, Twice, the bitch, Spinner, Mustard… Shit! All the commanders were here. The only one he couldn't see was Kurogiri but there was another woman in the line up. That was probably Ujiko

Fuck, that meant they were attacking for real.

Bakugou hit the alarm. The real alarm. He couldn't be sure the fuck wits in the security room would have noticed. The receptionist finally remembered her job and dove into the room.

He flexed his bandaged hand, his eyes fixed on the screens. He could move well enough and, he grinned as small explosions danced on his palm, blowing away the bandage.

"Stand firm!" The order came from the security room.

Katsuki slammed one hand down on the comm. He didn't need noobs telling him what to do, except as he went to leave the room, he heard the lock slam home. "Let me fight," he screamed.

"Stand firm!" the order was repeated. This time though, Bakugou could see various rent-a-cops pouring into the reception. Where the hell had they been hiding?

The Noumu roared and charged forward, mowing them down. It was a slaughter and it was one he'd seen before. He focused on the League. The Noumu was just raw power.

They were just standing there. Mustard was surrounded by a haze of gas but the rest were… what where they playing at? Weren't they here to steal QERI? Or was their mission just to be seen? Why?

Why bring the focus on BioSimip? What was Deku playing at?

Most people saw Bakugou's rash and brash attitude, they didn't remember that to get into UA's hero course, he had to have a brain to go with his skills. And he hated not seeing the plan!

Or did Deku know he was here, and was showing off? Except… As much as he hated to admit it, Deku had never done that before. There was only that one time, when he'd learned the truth, when he'd confronted Imoku Kakurete and learned that he was Izuku Midoriya… Though now that he knew did Deku feel the need to show off?

He was going down.

"I have a quirk license!" Bakugou growled at the comm. He didn't actually have one but what did that fucker know wouldn't hurt now and if it got him out there, it didn't matter. He could deal with this crap. At the very least he could deal with the League, he could get them to talk which would answer some of his questions.

They were just standing there, almost posing while the Noumu made mince meat of the rent-a-cops.

"The police are on the way."

"And what the fuck are they going to do?" He demanded.

Against the Noumu, they were going to be meat bags, or like the receptionist who was cowering in the corner. She wasn't even looking at the screens. "Shut up woman!" Bakugou growled. She was whining.

"Newbie, you will stay there!"

On the screen Bakugou watched as Himiko turned to Dabi and said something. The fire villain released a few bouts of blue flame. Mustard helped, producing some sort of explosive gas and the room was filled with flame.

It still made no sense to him. They were just standing there. The woman he assumed was Ujiko said something after she looked back outside. Dabi yelled something.

The Noumu turned. On the screen he could see black swirls appearing.

Fuck! Katsuki knew what that meant. They were going to get away. He looked at the door. The receptionist was at least away from it. It would be a pain to actually have to drag her. It only took a step or two until he was standing at the door. Bakugou put both hands on it. He didn't have his gauntlets, but he had a lot of practice.

The door was reinforced but he was stronger. He knew a lot of people who were stronger. It exploded outwards. Bakugou ignored the way his injured hand stung. He'd reopened the wound. Instead he leapt through the hole he'd made and looked around.

There was noise and dust. Katsuki was prepared for that. He'd been gazing through smoke all his life. He could see the Noumu moving. It had reacted to his explosion and was turning, though it was still casually batting away the rent-a-cops. They really should have known better. The League was reacting as well. Dabi was half in one of Kurogiri's portals but was shouting something. Toga was nowhere to be seen. Not surprising. She had probably already left. Mustard was near Dabi and Twice…

Bakugou's eyes widened when he realised Twice was lying on the ground. Blood was pouring from a wound on his head. He was down. There was a chunk from the wall near him. He assumed it had hit the Villain.

Katsuki didn't even hesitate. He jumped towards the villain. Twice wasn't the one he wanted. He wanted that bitch. He wanted them all but Twice would be a beginning. He slammed one hand on the villain's neck, locking his legs around him and holding his other hand out. Bakugou grinned at the League, his red eyes meeting Dabi's blue. He could see the way Dabi's eyes widened.

"Try it!" Katsuki invited. Dabi could probably get him with fire, or Mustard could with gas, or even the Noumu but if they did… he had Twice. He knew villains didn't care about each other, but the League had been together for a long time. The Commanders at least tried not to kill one another.

"Noumu!" Dabi yelled.

The Noumu roared. Bakugou was already moving. He rose, hauling Twice up by the throat and using the villain as a shield. He backed up until was standing against a wall. He was pretty sure that Kurogiri couldn't open a warp gate behind him that way. To stop the warp villain opening a gate in front of him, Bakugou pulled one of Twice's legs back so that he was almost entwined around the villain. The Noumu stopped.

Katsuki grinned again at Dabi. "Check mate!" he hissed.

He knew the fire villain had heard from the glare directed at him. But Dabi was realistic. "Pull back!" he yelled at the Noumu.

The huge creature fixed Bakugou with one eye and he got the impression it was memorising him but it moved through the portal Kurogiri opened for it. The rest of the League disappeared and the warp gates vanished just as the screech of tyres sounded outside. The cops had finally arrived.

Bakugou threw Twice to the ground and against straddled him, pulling the villains arms back before he yelled at one of the still alive rent-a-cops. "Get me some cuffs!"

It wouldn't stop Twice's Quirk but it wouldn't hurt. He wasn't about to let this bastard get away.

-afop-

"Your hand is never going to heal if you keep blowing off the bandages," Midnight berated him as she re-dressed his wound.

Katsuki snorted, but left it at that. Nemuri was dressed as a civilian, so he could put up with her when she wasn't pulling that 18 plus crap.

"Twice has been taken for questioning," Aizawa told the gathering.

"Since Young Bakugou was on the clock, the arrest has been accepted," Toshinori said.

"They didn't bring up any vigilante crap?" Katsuki demanded.

"You were on the clock as a registered guard for BioSimip Industries," Yagi explained. "They didn't bring it up." There was a catch in his voice that told Bakugou more.

He snorted again. "They wanted to," he growled.

"Yes," Aizawa replied, "but getting a League member gift wrapped was too good for them, especially since they were attacking. But what I said stands, Katsuki."

"Yeah, yeah I know. Wrongful arrest by vigilante," he parroted the words from before. "Fuckers."

"So why were they there?" Mirio asked. He was still dressed in a suit from the day's campaigning.

When the group turned to him Bakugou glared. "How the fuck am I supposed to know?" he growled.

"You weren't working there because you wanted to," Sir Nighteye pointed out.

"They were after QERI," Hizashi said.

"No, they weren't," Bakugou retaliated immediately.

"What makes you think that, young Bakugou?" Yagi asked mildly.

"Because they barged in and then did jack shit but stand there," he replied immediately.

Aizawa nodded. "I saw the footage. The League burst through the doors but did not go further."

"Unless Kurogiri was there?" Sir Nighteye asked.

"That's not his style," Nemuri said as she packed away the first aid kit.

"What about the other teleporter?"

"She just stood there too," Bakugou said. "They were practically posing."

"So it was a distraction," Toshinori concluded. "But from what?"

The group was silent for a few minutes, thinking of anything else they knew about the time. There had been no other major reports from around the town.

"We are sure they didn't get the QERI formula? That it wasn't just a cover for one of their agents to get out?" Hizashi asked.

"We will have to check the footage," Aizawa said. It was definitely a possibility and explained why the League was happy to be seen. Katsuki was correct. The League did not seem to have any other purpose in this raid.

"You think that bastard will let you?" Bakugou barked.

"Who?" Yagi asked.

"That bastard Deku."

"For those of us who don't understand," Aizawa reminded him.

He huffed. "Imoku Kakurete," Katsuki spat the name. He really hated Deku.

"Why would the Representative have anything to do with it?" Hizashi asked.

"You didn't tell him?"

Aizawa sighed. "Representative Kakurete is the owner of BioSimip Industries but not the direct owner. There's enough shell companies involved so that he can't be accused of favouritism with the Department of Justice."

The radio presenter sighed.

"There's also the fact that we have no right to those recordings," Sir Nighteye pointed out the other minor detail. Since Heroes had been reintegrated, things like security recordings, which would usually have been provided to them for intelligence were no longer necessary, since they were no longer heroes.

"I can get them," Bakugou was positive, "but they aren't going to show anything. The League bastards were just there to be seen. They weren't there for QERI. If they want it, he'll just give it to them."

"So what purpose does this mission have, besides attracting attention?" Yagi asked.

They all had questions. Bakugou had to admit that was a good one. Why had the League attacked, when they really had no plan? It's like they wanted to fail.

"They were attracting attention to themselves," Mirio answered, "and possibly to QERI but Kakurete had been keeping that quiet until Sir Nighteye found out about it."

"And since Kakurete probably controls the League, it makes no sense for him to have them attack. It just makes him look bad," Nemuri mused.

Katsuki's lips pursed. "Not really," he murmured. It was an odd volume for him. It got attention. "Watch what he says in the next few days," Bakugou continued. "If he says anything about BioSimip's Security then he's trying to make a political point, that his protections are better than the governments."

"That could be one interpretation, but why would Representative Kakurete need to do that?" Yagi asked. Most only saw All Might as a man who was insanely strong, they tended to forget there was a brain behind him, one that was capable of running the still strong business empire. Heroes might be gone but having been Number One for so long, there was still some residual interest, especially in merchandising. "He has worked with the Government for the last few terms," he added.

"What's the polls like?" Nemuri asked.

"The opposition will probably win," Hizashi answered. He knew that. People all wanted to talk about it.

"That could explain it," Sir Nighteye nodded. "If Kakurete was trying to make a point that his facilities are stronger and that QERI is safe, then whoever wins may be less likely to reassess the program."

"It could be a number of reasons. Who knows why that fucking Deku does what he does?" Katsuki spat. "I'm more interested in questioning that fucking Twice."

"No chance," Mirio told him.

"The fuck?"

"No chance," Mirio repeated. "Twice has been taken to Tartarus. He'll be tried via video link."

"What?"

"I heard it today. It was thought that since Tartarus managed to keep the former boss contained, they would keep any high ranked member of the League there."

"That's bullshit!"

"That's what they are going to do," Mirio explained.

"It makes sense," Nemuri nodded to herself. "If Tartarus was enough to keep a man who could fight All Might equally contained, then Twice shouldn't be a problem."

"He stayed contained because he fucking wanted to," Bakugou growled.

"That may be," Yagi interrupted, "but that is the logic they are employing."

"Shit for brains," Katsuki grumbled.

No one bothered to censure him.

"So what do we do now?" Hizashi asked.

"Could you get an interview with Deku?"

"Why do you call him that?" Nemuri asked. She knew who the vigilante was referring to now but it still made no sense.

"Because he is!"

Aizawa sighed. "We have a theory that Imoku Kakurete is actually Izuku Midoriya, who has been aged somewhat, and given the position by the former Leader of the League."

Yagi's eyes went wide at the suggestion. It was odd to see it in such an emaciated face. "No one really knew what quirks he had," he murmured.

"So it could be possible?" Mirio asked.

Toshinori took a heavy breath. "It might be but… if he's been groomed by All For One, he's not going to admit it." The basic details of All For One were generally known. The fact that he could steal quirks, the rest of history, that of the struggle those who bore One For All took up, that was still known only to a subgroup.

And with All For One dead, there was a chance, the struggle was over. Except for his apprentices. Tomura Shigaraki was one, but he was also dead… and it appeared this Imoku Kakurete was another. And he was… very powerful.

"Can you get an interview?" Katsuki pushed with his usual single minded attitude.

"Maybe," Hizashi said. "My target audience doesn't care much for politics."

"Then make them interested! It's not that hard."

Hizashi's eyebrow raised at the suggestion. His audience was young. They were more interested in the latest fade over who ran the country.

"Make up some sort of segment," Bakugou continued. "Who looks like someone else? Or some shit like that. Mirio looks like All Might, Pop Step like Cutie Honey, Imoku Kakurete like Izuku Midoriya."

"That sounds like I'll be opening myself up for defamation."

"If that fucker sues you, then all it's proving is he's got something to hide." Katsuki shrugged. "Sell if off as a joke. It's not insulting, and it's just fucking kids with an opinion," he added.

Hizashi got the message. If Imoku sued him over that, it would be easy to make him look petty but it wasn't quite that simple. His station was one that Imoku didn't own, they couldn't really afford to be taking random pot shots at Representatives.

"What did Izuku look like?" Sir Nighteye asked. "If there is a genuine resemblance, then Bakugou is correct, such a segment could easily be passed off as a joke, assuming he even hears about it."

Aizawa picked up a tablet and tapped it a few times, before holding it up for the group to look at. There was a picture of Izuku Midoriya on it from his wanted poster. The smiling face of the fourteen year old looked out at them.

Sir Nighteye blew out. "There is a definite resemblance."

"That's because the fucker is him!" Katsuki growled.

"You actually want to go through with that?" Hizashi asked.

Sir Nighteye looked upwards, thinking. "Usually I would say no, given that we do not want to alert him to our presence, but he's already aware. And with an foe like this, one who will not slip up by himself, sometimes it's necessary to show part of your hand, so that he thinks you know more, and reacts to that."

"You want to try to force him to make a mistake?"

"I want to see his reaction," Sir Nighteye corrected. "As you say, Hizashi, you are not a political station. If you sell the segment as something to get youth into politics, then there is nothing to be offended about. As a Representative, he's meant to be interested in that. So, we'll find a whole heap of contemporary and historic political matches, and do it that way. If Kakurete gets offended, then he has something to hide. If he laughs it off, then-" Sir Nighteye sighed. "He's either a very good actor, or there is nothing to hide and Bakugou's theory is incorrect."

"I'm not wrong."

"I want to see his reaction," Sir Nighteye repeated, ignoring Katsuki. "Because with people like this, if we leave them to act, they will finish their plan. If we force a reaction then… that's different, that's not in the script, and that's where they make mistakes."

Hizashi nodded. The entire group nodded.

"If you want, I can come in for an interview," Mirio offered.

"No," Toshinori said before Sir Nighteye could. "Let's keep Hizashi's station completely free of politics for the moment. Maybe closer to the election," he added.

His former sidekick nodded and gave him a ghost of a smile. He had learned something in all that time.

"The fucker isn't going to react," Bakugou huffed. "But it's better than nothing. In the meantime, I'll keep hunting the League." He said it as if he was the only one doing work.

The group knew better than to take offense. All Might smiled at Katsuki. "You do that, young Bakugou," he encouraged. "Any lead you come up with is valuable," he added.

That much was definitely true. And in a world where heroes were reintegrated into society, they knew they needed all the leads they could get against a newly active League of Villains.

The danger wasn't past.

-afop-

Dabi should have expected to see Imoku waiting for him. Kurogiri was a black shadow behind him. His green eyes were sharp and glared at him.

"We lost Twice," Dabi informed him.

"I know," Imoku said in a measured tone. He was pissed. It was a state Dabi had only ever seen Imoku in a few times. He really wasn't feeling good that this time, it was directed to him. "Why did you attack?"

He couldn't say Himiko suggested it. He was the Acting Leader of the League. That meant the decision was his, as was the responsibility. "We were only going to show up, and then pretend we'd been driven off," he said, instead of explaining. "We didn't expect ExplodoKill to be there. Did you know he was there?"

"No," Imoku replied. "I'm not in charge of hiring," he reminded the fire villain. He owned BioSimip Industries but it was a tenuous ownership. He owned the company, that owned the company and so on. He took a deep breath. "You were trying to help," he said.

From the explanation Imoku knew what they had been trying to do. They were trying to show that BioSimip's security was better than the Government's. Of course it was! It was one of his companies. But they hadn't gone about it well.

"Yes," Dabi admitted softly.

"This is why I want ExplodoKill taken out," Imoku said. "He's interfering."

"Himiko followed him the other day."

"I heard about that," Imoku replied. She'd already told him. "The injury didn't seem to slow him down. That's why you have to kill him."

"We will," Dabi assured him. With Twice being captured, the entire League would be after ExplodoKill. They'd go after Twice if they thought they could but he'd already heard Twice wasn't being kept in remand, he was being kept in Tartarus, at least until his trial. He was getting a trial at least, so maybe there was an opportunity to retrieve him. He would have to see.

"I know," Imoku said. "I appreciate the gesture to help but it's not needed. Just focus on taking out ExplodoKill. As I said previously, go wild against him. Be seen, I don't care if it's fighting him… but just not at one of my facilities!"

Dabi couldn't help but smile at that. It was a quick twitch of his lips. "We'll get him boss."

Imoku looked at him. Dabi was happy to see that most of the anger had dissipated. Imoku was a reasonable man. "Good," he purred, before he rose and walked through Kurogiri.

The warp villain gave Dabi a look before he too disappeared.

The fire villain sighed. He couldn't help but feel he'd dodged a bullet there. He was grateful for that, but it didn't change the facts. They'd lost Twice. He balled his hands into fists.

The vigilante would pay.

-afop-

 _Did I do good, Izu Izu?_

Imoku smiled down at his phone, even as he typed the reply. _You did great, Hime._

 _It wasn't perfect. We barely got past the foyer_

 _I know. It's not your fault. It was ExplodoKill's fault._ It was Katsuki's fault. But it was also the League's for not noticing the vigilante was there. After all, he'd known Bakugou was staking out BioSimip, so really, it wasn't that hard to know, especially when you had the security cameras… which the League didn't. Such a pity that.

 _Two Time was taken._

Imoku nodded. _I know. Tell TT that that I don't blame him and that he should concentrate on taking out ExplodoKing._ He'd already told Dabi that, but it never hurt to reinforce his orders. If anyone ever got this phone open, it was biometrically locked, it would be dangerous but the nicknames meant that anyone who got a look at it would be confused.

 _You can't tell him yourself?_

He could, but he'd already spoken to Dabi about the attack, and he didn't want to reveal that he knew more than he should about it. _Paperwork._ It was such a convenient excuse… and unfortunately true.

 _They need you to talk to the Noumu._

The messages came in fast succession but were separate. It had taken him a _long_ time to train Toga not to jumble the topic of conversation into the one message. He sighed at the message though. He didn't really have time to go to the League. He'd had to make time especially to talk to Dabi. And they mentioned this now, via Toga. It probably meant the situation was getting serious.

Dabi had confirmed that the original Noumu had deteriorated over time. It was really only designed to be used, and then disposed of. They had kept it for far longer than its design life. It was no surprise that it was breaking down. Using his quirk, he was able to get the Noumu to trust him, to calm down. It was easy. The Noumu's might be an amalgamation of quirks but they still responded to them.

There was really only one way to deal with it. _Let it go. They were Tomura's toys._

 _You're sure?_

He was sure. _Let it go._

Though… Imoku thought. If the original had deteriorated, would the others? He pursed his lips slightly, thinking. Dabi had said they were all not as lively. He knew roughly how the Noumu were created but he hadn't ever immersed himself in the notes the scientists had left. Though, to be fair, it was a stretch to call them scientists. Hacks is the term he'd use. Torturers if he wasn't feeling charitable. High End seemed to be fully functional but he'd have to check with Dabi.

Who would probably remind him that it would be nice of they could check with the Noumu's creators, except they were gone. Had been for years. It was really only good business sense to remove them. They were part of Tomura's League. They weren't necessary for his.

Still, they could release the Noumus as they became unusable or uncontrollable. It would give him a good gauge on the police and was one final service they could give to him.

 _You did great, Hime._ She did great in getting the League to attack. And now, with Twice being taken, they'd focus even more on Bakugou. If they did want to run wild, then they would.

He did so hope Kacchan was up to it.

 **-afop-**


	23. Part 2: Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _I'm sorry_

Todoroki looked at his phone. The message was typed, but he hadn't pressed send. He was sorry but he was hesitating. He couldn't figure out why he'd done it. He wanted to explain why.

Shouto couldn't even remember what he'd been arguing with Momo about. Nothing important. But he'd had been feeling so frustrated, and without thinking he'd raised his hand…

And froze.

She'd looked up at him with wide eyes and Shouto had seen Momo open her mouth, ready to say something.

He'd fled.

He hadn't known what else to do.

Todoroki had wandered for a while before he'd come into this coffee shop. He had ordered something. He wasn't even sure what it was and took the seat that was at the back of the store. He was nursing his drink now as he stared at his phone.

The single question was running through his mind. _Why?_ What had he almost..? He grimaced. He didn't even want to think it but he had to. He had almost done that. Why?

His mind provided the answer in far too much detail.

Because that is what Endeavor did. Shouto could remember it, vaguely. His mother, Rei had been sent away when he was young but he could still remember the way Endeavor had treated her when she was there. She was allowed to question domestic affairs, to a point. She was not allowed to question hero work, or training. The only questions she could ask then was how the day had gone and what food was required to ensure optimal performance.

But there were times he could remember when she questioned more. And Endeavor had shut her down. At first, he'd simply ignored her, then berated her, and then, he had hit her. It hadn't been all the time but it had been enough that Shouto knew it was happening, had seen it happening.

Of course, his father was now… Actually, Shouto didn't know where Endeavor was these days. His mother was in a nice little house and was getting therapy. He visited her once a week and she had told him she was seeing someone. He had been happy for her.

But he… He had still done that. He'd still raised his hand, and he knew what he was about to do. And he just didn't know why.

 _Shouto_.

His phone pinged. The message was from Momo.

Since he was staring at his typed message, she would know he was there.

 _Shouto, it's okay._ The new message followed.

No. It wasn't okay. He'd almost…

 _You didn't do anything._

He hadn't done anything. At least there was that. But that was this time. What about the next time? Would he be as restrained then? He didn't know.

 _Shouto_

Todoroki heaved a deep breath, closed his eyes and jammed his thumb on send before he lost his nerve. He was such a coward. His phone dinged to indicate the message was sent.

 _I'm sorry_

 _It's okay Shouto._ Momo replied quickly.

 _Come home._ She added.

How could he go home?

 _We can discuss it. It's not your fault._

People were too ready to say that. If it wasn't his fault, then who's fault was it? He had done it. No one else.

 _Your father never gave you a better example, but you aren't him. You are better than him._

 _You stopped. You didn't do it._

Momo was persistent.

 _Come home so we can discuss it._

He heaved another breath. He couldn't sit here forever. He could probably afford a hotel but… that was just running from the issue.

 _Alright_. He typed, pushing the glass of something away as he rose. He couldn't run forever.

Todoroki walked to the door, giving a nod to the cashier before he walked out. The instant he got out though, everything changed. He could hear screams. There was the sound of gunshots and… he looked up to the horizon. There was smoke in the distance.

Shouto grimaced and pulled out his phone. _I'm going to be late_. He told Momo before he put it away. She'd see the news. It was his day off but with this much chaos he was sure he'd be called anyway. While legislation said he couldn't be a hero, the government had made sure that people were integrated. New jobs were offered. He had taken a position with the Police, in Special Forces. It was the closest thing he could get to being a Hero.

At least the legislation was good for one thing. The Hero Public Safety Bureau assessments had made it clear to him that he wanted to be a hero, even if later that had no longer been an option. Still, he enjoyed being with the Special Forces, but he knew it wasn't quite the same.

His phone rang. The caller ID told him it was Captain Shirei. "What's the location?" Shouto asked, forgoing the pleasantries.

"You've seen?"

"I see the evidence, what is it?"

"I'll text you the address," the Captain told him.

His phone beeped, and Todoroki looked down at the text. He knew where it was. Todoroki began running, holding his phone to his ear. "It looks like one of the League's Noumu's but we aren't sure," the Captain told him.

"Is there rest of the League there?"

"Not that we've seen."

"I'll be there soon," Shouto reported, cutting off the call. It was still his day off so the Captain better appreciate this. Todoroki knew he was getting close when the stream of people fleeing the area got thicker. Todoroki pushed his way between them.

"Idiot, get away!" Someone shouted at him.

"I'm with the police," he yelled back. That got some attention and a small path formed. It allowed him to get to the police line quicker. Shouto pulled out his badge. It might be his day off but he still carried it.

"You're quirk licensed?" The officer forming the cordon asked.

"Yes!"

"Get in there."

Shouto took a few steps through the cordon. He could see buildings damaged and there was a fire in one. Best deal with that first. He stepped over to it and carefully laid his right hand on the side of it. He'd done this before at UA, but unlike UA, he didn't want to freeze the entire building, he just wanted to stop the fires. It required power, but a far more delicate touch. Thankfully Aizawa had ensured he had that control. At least with his ice.

Frost appeared on the side of the building but the flames died out. And he hadn't damaged the structural integrity.

But he knew this wasn't what he was meant to deal with, and right on cue, a roar sounded. There was the sound of concrete shattering and Shouto looked down the road to see something charging towards him. It was huge and black. He remembered it from the USJ. It had an exposed brain and an almost bird like beak. It roared again.

The sound of gunshots filled the air. Todoroki would like to say that the thing didn't even notice but it did. The bullets did no damage, but it took note of where they were coming from and charged towards the cops who were hiding behind their cars. Shouto erected a wall of ice before it got there. He'd gotten better with them. In the past, his ice walls were opaque, now they were clear. There was some distortion but he was no longer in any danger of losing sight of whatever was behind it.

"Thanks, Todoroki."

The voice surprised him. "Kirishima."

The other Special Ops Officer emerged. He had on his full tactical gear but Shouto could see it was a bit battered. "It got you?" he asked.

"Just punched me," Kirishima told him. "And it hits like Mirio."

Todoroki hissed. He didn't need that reminder. In their first year of UA, the third year Mirio had come to see their class with a couple of the other big names. He hit hard!

"You're okay?"

"Fine," Kirishima waved off the concern, and Shouto could see that his quirk was active.

"You're okay?" he asked again. Kirishima had a quirk license just like him, and his quirk was hardening, but that didn't harden everything. It was possible for Kirishima to be scrambled within even if he looked fine and he'd probably think it manly not to mention that.

"Fine," he repeated. "Here's an earbud," he added, holding out the device.

Shouto took it and put it in his ear. The feed from operations was a soothing buzz. "Is there a plan?" He asked.

"Not yet," Kirishima replied.

"So, it's like that time?" Shouto pressed.

Kirishima grimaced, knowing exactly what he was referring to. Just after All For One's death, one of the League members had attacked. He was huge, and had fought well. His name had been Gigantomachi and he had been a pain to put down. Thankfully none of the rest of the League had come out to play then.

There was an unofficial rumour going around that Dabi had written a note to the Police Commissioner after Gigantomachi had been taken into custody, denying that the giant was a part of the League. No one believed it, but no one could do anything about it either.

"God I hope not," the Special Forces officer said.

Shouto nodded. He shared that hope but he was practical. The League hadn't disappeared but over the years they had gotten sneakier. He wondered what this thing was covering for but he had no time for further questions as both their attentions were taken by the shattering of Shouto's ice wall.

He reinforced it but he already knew it was going to shatter. Mentally he prepared to release a blast of fire if the ice was going to endanger anyone.

The Noumu roared again as the ice crumbled. It crashed through the remains and Shouto could feel its eyes on him. Somehow it knew he'd created the ice. Shouto wondered if the Noumu remembered him from USJ.

"Be aware of the others," the warning sounded in his ear.

"We have to fight it!" Kirishima growled.

"Be aware of the others," the warning was repeated.

"We'll be careful," Shouto replied this time. He gave Kirishima a look. Command sometimes just needed to hear what they wanted. The other man knew that.

"Do you think you can lure it there?" Todoroki asked, pointing to a geyser of water formed by a ripped up fire hydrant.

"I'll do what I can," Kirishima said and ran towards the Noumu. At the last moment he veered away. Shouto was thankful for that. Kirishima was fast but hopefully he remembered this particular Noumu had been created to kill All Might. It was strong.

But why had the League released it? What were they playing at?

"Has the League appeared anywhere?" Shouto asked command while he watched Kirishima dodge. The other man had gotten faster, and he never tried to meet the Noumu head on. He was using a technique that involved almost flowing around the attacks, redirecting them so they never hit. It was a good plan, especially against something this strong.

"There is nothing on the League. Initial reports indicate that this thing was released through some black liquid."

"Ujiko," Shouto identified the League member from her quirk. Even after all this time they didn't know much about her.

"Probably. Facilities are on alert but there have been no other attacks."

He nodded, recognising the security inherent in the vagueness of the word facilities. Operations would not give away that information incase the League, or anyone else was listening.

He ran forward as Kirishima got close to the hydrant. The Noumu was following him, and didn't seem to mind the water.

"Clear!" Shouto screamed as he slammed his right hand to the ground, into the pool of water. It froze instantly, and the ice raced over the water, trapping the Noumu which was standing under the gush of water.

It was odd to see the frozen spray of water but Shouto could see that the Noumu was mostly trapped. Its legs were frozen and one of its arms was trapped but the rest was free. It made a noise, almost like a whine and then he watched it rip itself free. Blood gushed, freezing on the ice and Shouto gritted his teeth as the Noumu moved.

Without legs it collapsed, still hemorrhaging blood but as he watched, he could see the flesh reforming.

"Hit it with fire!" Kirishima yelled. "Don't let it regenerate," he added the explanation.

Todoroki remembered that the Noumu had regenerated easily. He also remembered procedure. "Command?" And the reports on the Noumu. Despite the regeneration and the odd looks, even by today's society, this was still a man.

"Hold. Reason with it."

"It can't be reasoned with," Kirishima snarled into the comm.

Shouto was expecting that answer. He stepped forward, making sure he made eye contact with the Noumu that was still regenerating. It seemed slower than his memory but it was definitely happening. Red bulbous flesh was sprouting and forming into new limbs. The bleeding had stopped.

"I don't want to hurt you," Todoroki said. He tried to sound calm. He wasn't sure how well he managed that but from the disbelieving look Kirishima gave him he either succeed or failed spectacularly. He hoped it was succeeded.

The Noumu snapped its jaws at him. It was not an attack. Just a noise. Hopefully that meant it could talk but Shouto remembered the report. This thing was mostly catatonic when captured. It was awake but unresponsive.

"I don't want to hurt you," he repeated. "But you have to stand down."

Another snap and the Noumu's regeneration was complete. The Noumu stood. Shouto tensed as he watched.

"This is stupid," Kirishima muttered but moved to support him.

"Will you come with me?" Todoroki asked.

The answer wasn't reassuring. The Noumu charged and this time there was a wild shine in its eye that was unmistakably mad. When Shouto had last seen this Noumu it was at the USJ. It had been powerful but its eyes were different somehow… in control. There was no control here.

It picked up a car and flung it at him. He'd learned his lesson about burning or freezing things midair and moved with Kirishima to dodge.

"We have to kill it," his old classmate told him.

"Reason with it," Command yelled into their ears.

"It can't be reasoned with," Kirishima argued.

"Something has enraged it," Shouto reported to Command. "And no one here has the ability to calm it," he added. The League obviously did since they'd kept it for so long but equally obviously they'd turned it lose for some reason. Maybe they could no longer control it? That was the simplest answer, given the seemingly random nature of the attack. Command was checking to see if there was something else happening. Shouto had to deal with this now.

"And we just took off half its body and it didn't stop!" Kirishima added as they continued to dodge.

"You are to continue to reason with it," Command repeated.

Kirishima took out his earpiece. He looked at Shouto in askance. Todoroki knew his lips formed a thin line. He recognised manipulation when he heard it. What was Command playing at? The easy answer was they wanted to study thing thing. He hoped it was for something more practical, like they had a lead on the League but in private, he would say it was the first reason.

He gave Kirishima a half smile. The other man had been through enough with him in UA to know what it meant. Todoroki was used to rebellion while seeming to obey.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said to the Noumu, dodging under one of its arms.

It hissed at him and he barely managed to avoid the kick that followed. He'd forgotten how fast it could be. This thing had been created to kill All Might and while Todoroki knew he was strong, he also knew he wasn't All Might. And that thought gave him some pleasure because it meant, despite everything else that had happened, his Father's goal had never been fulfilled.

"I don't want to hurt you," he repeated, sending a gout of flame at the still frozen hydrant. Water was leaking through at the bottom forming a large puddle.

Steam hissed and the area became muggy. Visibility wasn't impacted and the Noumu charged towards him again.

"I don't want to hurt you," Todoroki said again, this time as he manipulated the water on the ground, forming it into ice shards that appeared in jagged rows in front of the Noumu. It ran straight into them, impaling itself. Blood flowed down the shards.

Kirishima ran forward, raising his hands high and hit the bottom of the shards the Noumu was impaled on. The bottom shattered, letting the creature stand, still impaled. It made no move to remove the ice. Blood continued to pour from around the ice. Kirishima leapt back before the Noumu could hit him.

"Now what?" he asked. He'd figured out that Shouto was saying everything to keep Command happy while actually doing what was necessary to keep them safe. The beat cops, those who had confronted this thing would appreciate that more than obeying command.

The shards of ice weren't going to constrain the creature much. It was strong enough to just ignore or punch straight through them.

"You don't have to attack," Shouto told the Noumu. It growled at him. It seemed to operate very simply. It attacked whatever attracted its attention. He was not the centre of attention for the Noumu. "You can come with me," he continued.

The Noumu roared, showing off rounded teeth that lined its beak. Shouto saw it raise one hand. The movement was the same as his. He flinched but stood firm. He hadn't actually done anything. He wasn't his father.

The swipe came down. Todoroki was already moving. He lunged forward, driving his left hand to the ground. There was water there. It boiled with the application of heat. The Noumu screamed as it was steamed. But Shouto wasn't finished. It could regenerate, and while it had to have a limit, he didn't know what it was. He raised his left hand, and sent a gout of fire towards the Noumu.

If he could carbonise the flesh, then there was a chance. He just had to make his fire hot enough. He could have tried to put the Noumu into a state of suspended animation with could. Shouto was sure of his control with that part of his quirk, what he wasn't sure about was that if the Noumu had any defences against it. Probably not, since it had been designed to kill All Might but in this, there could be no doubt.

"Keep everyone away," Shouto ordered Kirishima.

The other man gave him a look. It told him that only idiots would come close to this. Todoroki cocked his head.

Kirishima rolled his eyes. It was his agreement. He remembered the same incidents Shouto did.

Todoroki kept his flame going. He felt hot but at least he had better thermoregulation now. While he had passed his Hero Public Safety Bureau Assessment, it had taken several years of therapy before he accepted that his fire side was his, not his father's. His control wasn't as good, but it did mean he could now use his ice far more. And fire when the case needed it.

The Noumu screamed and advanced. He was ready for it. The ice that had been impaling it was gone, but the wounds were now burned. They weren't cauterised and Shouto could see the way they were closing. But the rate was slower.

He meet the Noumu's punch with more flame, stopping the creature. He willed his flame to be hotter. His brother could do this. Touya's flames were usually blue. They burned very hot. His father could do it. His flame was yellow… Shouto pushed the thought aside. His brother could do it. Dabi. He was better than a villain!

Todoroki had been taught as a child to suppress his emotions. UA had taught him to harness them. He did that now, using the thought to power his quirk. Shouto felt his fire burn hotter. He let the ice covering his right side creep over him. It melted on the left.

The Noumu screamed. It was remarkably human. It was human, Shouto remembers. He gritted his teeth. This had to be done or others would die.

The smell of burning flesh assaulted his nose. He could tell from Kirishima's grimace that the other man smelt it as well. It was not a nice smell. Oils, muscle… He wasn't going to be having steak any time soon. He tried to hold his breath. Shouto knew he wasn't the only one. Kirishima was as well.

The Noumu continued screaming.

"What are you doing?" Command screamed as well.

Shouto saw a drone overhead. Ah, they'd seen. "It would not surrender," he replied.

"Don't worry," Kirishima told him. "There's wounded, and... "

Todoroki knew what the pause meant. There had been casualties, or some of the wounded weren't expected to make it. Of course, they wouldn't. Not if they'd confronted this. His fire burned hotter. He probably didn't know them but… that wasn't the point. They were fellow Police Officers. They weren't meant to die.

There was an odd hick from the Noumu. Shouto didn't cease his fire but he gestured to Kirishima.

The man moved around the flame, his quirk active, but Todoroki could see the sweet pouring off him. This patch of road was going to need replacing too. "Nearly," Kirishima reported.

It was sick in a way. He was reporting on how close the Noumu was to death. How close the man who had been changed was. This was the villainy of the League.

"Stop it!" Command actually commanded. "You can't kill it."

"Lethal force is the only thing that will be sufficient to contain this creature," Shouto replied.

"That is true," Captain Shirei's voice came over the comm.

Kirishima's eyebrow raised. "He likes you," he mouthed at Shouto. Captain Shirei was a stickler for the rules but in this case…

"It has already killed several officers," the Captain continued to tell Command.

Whoever was on the comm at Command huffed, and Shouto could almost feel their growl at him.

"Just finish it Shouto," Captain Shirei told him. He knew it was on another frequency.

It gave him a burst of energy and he poured it into the flames. The Noumu's cries ceased, but Shouto knew it may still regenerate. He didn't want to think of the pain he'd put it through. Regenerating even as burning… It was a sickening thought but he did not let it affect him. He kept the flames up until he felt that there was nothing there to fuel his fire. Only then did he let them fade.

It was only then that Shouto let himself breath deeply. The Noumu was gone.

The cheer surprised him. He looked up. There appeared to be officers everywhere. They were grinning at him. They were cheering for him. Shouto staggered. Kirishima caught him. "That was manly!" he congratulated him.

Todoroki sighed. "It's what I'm paid for," he replied, modestly.

Kirishima gave him a look but then there was lights, and sirens and Shouto didn't remember much of anything. He recognised the symptoms of quirk shock. A medic looked him over but said he'd be fine after a rest. After that, Shouto knew he accepted a drink and the thanks from everyone. He knew Kirishima put him into the back of a car and that they were at the station.

Kirishima sat with him but didn't appear to know what to do. "There was no other attack," the hardening quirk user told him. They were alone in the room. Debriefing, Shouto realised.

Todoroki didn't reply. He'd told Momo he'd be late, but this was beyond late. He should message her. He was about to pull out his phone when the door opened and a man entered. It wasn't the captain.

The man had green hair, and a very well tailored suit. Shouto recognised that, because he knew what they looked like. Endeavor had similar suits. There was a ribbon rose on the man's lapel and Shouto thought he should recognise him. Green eyes met his and the feeling of familiarity grew but he still couldn't place the man.

"You did good work today, both you," the man said.

"Thank you, Sir," Kirishima said. He was standing ramrod straight. Shouto inferred that he knew who this was. And since the man hadn't introduced himself, he expected to be recognised.

He wasn't Police. Shouto could conclude that much. If he was Command, he would be upset, and in uniform, so he had to be someone else.

Politics. That was the only explanation for why someone was allowed here.

"You need to keep drinking, Shouto," the man said to him, nodding at the cup in front of him. Guiltily Shouto picked it up and took another sip.

"Representative Kakurete, Sir," Kirishima said formally.

That's who this was! Todoroki was controlled enough not to let his surprise show but from the twinkle in the politician's eye, he somehow knew that Shouto had only just realised his identity.

"May I ask why you are here?" Kirishima asked.

"Of course, though please sit! You both have had a long day," the Representative said, gesturing to the chairs. This was a debrief room, not an interrogation room, which meant it was set up more gently. The chairs were softer, and more inviting. There was no place to affix the perps chains, and things like that. It was more like a coffee break room, without the coffee facilities.

The Representative sat opposite them.

With the restorative drink beginning to take hold, Shouto looked over at Imoku. He was well dressed, and radiated a pleasant air. He didn't feel like some of the politicians Shouto had met growing up, those whose favour Endeavor was currying, or those seeking to curry favour. This was a man who had power, and was sure of his power and who didn't need to suck up to anyone.

Shouto rather liked the way he felt.

Except… There was something in the way Kirishima was sitting that told him Imoku was dangerous. More so than the simple fact he was a Representative, a member of Parliament, the same Parliament who had made the Assessments and who had voted on Hero Reintegration. Counter to all of that, Todoroki remembered that this was also the Representative who had arranged for Touya to be heard. Endeavor had found out every sordid detail about the arrangement, only to find there was nothing he could use. Kakurete had simply ensured that Dabi was Touya and had provided those proofs to the TV network. From there, the network had run with the story.

Endeavor had also looked into Kakurete's past. It was clean. Squeaky clean. The former hero had been enraged about that and while Shouto had been pleased at the time, because anything that frustrated his father was good, he was also forced to admit that it was a little suspicious. No politician was _that_ clean.

Yet Kakurete apparently was.

"I came to congratulate you," Representative Kakurete told them.

"Congratulate us?" Kirishima asked.

Imoku gave them a look but then he smiled. "I admit, it's not normal," the politician laughed. "But I was here to see something else, when I heard the dispatch. You were both very brave."

"Thank you, sir," Shouto said before taking another sip from his drink. It was mostly sugar water with some flavouring. It was designed to replace energy lost after over using or straining a quirk. He hated the taste. He'd practically lived on this stuff with Endeavor.

"Though you need to be careful," Imoku added, and reached into a pocket. He pulled out some sort of foil wrapped bar. "Here," he said, tossing it gently towards Shouto.

He caught it and looked at it. It was a high calorie energy bar.

"You need it," the politician said.

He did. Todoroki nodded his thanks, except he wondered, why did the politician have one? Many people had high output quirks and needed these things but a politician didn't! Gah, he was being an idiot! Imoku had probably requested one, to appear friendly.

It was a friendly gesture though.

"You will both go far in the Police," Imoku said. It was a nice statement. Kirishima grinned. "If, you remember a few things."

It was subtle but Shouto could see the way Kirishima's face changed. The politician hadn't said anything bad but it was a clear rebuke.

"We had to kill it, Sir," Kirishima said.

Imoku's green eyes examined him. They were piercing. "Him," he corrected. "No matter what else you might think, you had to kill him. The-" Kakurete frowned, and from the tone of his voice he was searching for the correct word. "-what were they called..?"

"Noumu, Sir," Shouto provided the answer.

"Ah, yes, Noumu. Thank you. You have to remember that the Noumu are human. No matter what the League has done to them, no matter how they have been twisted and changed, the Noumu are human. You killed someone today."

It was a sobering thought. Shouto felt sick as he thought about it. It wasn't the first time. Special Forces took the hardest cases and most times the culprit didn't want to surrender. Suicide by Cop. Except, this was a Noumu. From what he understood, it really wasn't thinking.

Todoroki wasn't sure that made it any better. He glanced at Kirishima. The other man had tholed the same things he had.

"I don't say this to be cruel," Representative Kakurete.

"Then why have you brought it up, Representative?" Kirishima asked.

Imoku's eyes were fixed on Shouto. They didn't move, even as he acknowledged Kirishima's question. "I say it to remind you. You are both Police Operatives. Your Captain assures me you are two of the best, but were you trained as Heroes. It is important for you to remember that there is a difference between a Hero and a Police Officer."

Todoroki would have said there was a sharp needling in Imoku's voice but there was nothing. He was simply stating facts but Shouto wasn't foolish. He knew the Representative was insinuating something far more.

The Representative reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a photo. Kirishima took it. "Who is this?"

"It is believed this man was the base of the Noumu."

Kirishima almost dropped the image. Shouto took it when the other man pushed it towards him. He glanced down. There was no resemblance. Todoroki was thankful for that.

"The public expect different things from the Police than they did Heroes. Thus I emphasise the difference. The Police are the guardians of the Law, they uphold it. Heroes were…" Representative Kakurete sighed heavily. "Too often were they considered above the law."

Shouto didn't need anything to interpret the look the Representative was giving him. There was a myriad of doubt, there was a lot of reminder about his father and his father's actions. He felt sick again, for an entirely different reason, and couldn't help but swallow at the memory from earlier in the day. It had nothing to do with the Noumu but he was sure Imoku thought it did.

"Will we be charged?" Kirishima asked. There was a note of worry in his tone.

"That is up to the Department," Imoku told him, finally turning away from Shouto. "It may also depend if that man's family presses any charges."

"Charges?" Kirishima almost yelled.

"I'm no expert in law but there may be some to answer," the Representative said, waving one hand.

Todoroki wanted to snort. No expert in law? The Representative might not have a formal qualification in Law - he wasn't actually sure - but the man made up many amendments to Law and had them introduced through Parliament. He knew more than enough about the law.

"It is something for you to remember, going forward, that the Police are not above the law. They are not heroes. I ask you to remember, not just because the Police are the guardians of the Law but for your own mental stability."

Shouto nodded. He wanted the Representative to leave. Kirishima gave off the same air. Surely the man could feel it. From the smile on his face, Todoroki knew he did and if in answer to his thoughts, the Representative rose. "You need to be debriefed," he said, "and I've taken up enough time. My congratulations again," he added, turning to the door.

"Thank you, Representative Kakurete," Shouto said. He kept his face blank but allowed a small smile to crease his features.

Imoku Kakurete looked back at him. There was a challenge in his eyes. "I hope you listen, Shouto, we don't want another Dabi," the Representative added before leaving.

Shouto forced himself to count to ten. Then he increased the number to twenty, and started counting in reverse. Kirishima just stared.

"What the?" Kirishima gasped. "What the hell was he going on about? That was way out of line."

"Maybe," Shouto replied. Maybe not, he thought to himself. With what had happened earlier, the warning was… He was being warned against becoming the wrong Todoroki. Yet becoming like his father was what he feared, not his brother, no matter what the villain and done.

"There's nothing we can do about it," Shouto added.

That brought Kirishima up short. It was the truth. They couldn't complain about the Representative because while the conversation had no doubt been recorded, there was nothing that bad. Not to anyone listening and the Representative's warning was one that the Captain would no doubt repeat.

Shouto looked at Kirishima. "When he came in, you tensed," he made the observation.

"He's a Representative!" Kirishima said. "You mean you didn't?" he questioned.

Todoroki just gave him a look. Kirishima tensing was more than just the fact the man was a Member of the House of Representatives.

Kirishima sighed. "You know I keep in touch with everyone," he said finally.

Shouto almost smiled. He still had the 'look'. He nodded, downing the last of his drink.

"Let's just say the foul mouth has some interesting theories."

It took Shouto a moment to translate the sentence and when he did, he understood the reason for Kirishima's code, even if it was a bad code. Bakugou was wanted for vigilantism. If it got out that Kirishima still had contact with him then… well, that would not end well.

"Tell me later," he instructed as the Captain walked in.

Captain Shirei looked grim. It was to be expected given what had happened today. "You've got the next two days off, Todoroki. But you will be expected to see the Counselor before you are cleared for duty again."

Shouto nodded. That was standard procedure. And… he didn't shudder but it was a close thing. It would give him time to talk to Momo… He hoped he could tell her what was wrong but he suspected she already knew.

"You too, Kirishima," came the addition.

The Captain sighed, but seemed happy that they hadn't argued. "Now, let's get on with this debriefing," he said, moving on to business.

Again, Shouto nodded. He had a feeling this talk was going to be easier than the one waiting for him at home. But… The fact that there was a talk waiting for him at home proved that he wasn't his father.

He had to focus on that.

 **-afop-**

I know some people (a lot of people) will be angry that I had Shouto almost hit Momo but abused children do _tend_ to follow the example of their parents. I want to point out though that Shouto is doing better than Endeavor because he _didn't_ hit Momo. He ran, yes but he didn't hit her, and he is _trying_ to be better than his dad. But it's not an easy path, and while he can have a happy ending, Endeavor had left his mark and that is going to make things difficult for Shouto.

He is better than his dad, but he did not become perfect and there are scars and one of those is he will perhaps, if he's not careful, revert to what he knew as a child, and that's not a very nice thing in society. I am not trying to underestimate or trivialize the effects of domestic abuse, but I didn't want to show a perfect happy ending for Shouto. This was more realistic to me.


	24. Part 2: Chapter 6

**Note:** Remember, female Ujiko, because I didn't know about the ugly mug of the real Ujiko when I was writing and I thought the League needed more women.

 **Chapter 6**

There were reasons Aizawa preferred drinking alone, at home. He just didn't enjoy sitting with others who were being rowdy in a bad part of town. He didn't understand how they could get drunk here. They knew what they did to people in that state! Did they not think they could be prey?

Even so, Shouta knew how to dress to look the part. He knew how to act to look the part, but he didn't like it. He knew how to hide that too, to look the part.

Even in Osaka. Which is where he currently was. He wasn't entirely sure why Bakugou had said to come here but they could hold this conversation anywhere.

"His finances are clean," the former underground hero told Katsuki.

"What do you fucking mean clean?" Bakugou spat.

"They are clean," Aizawa repeated. Unlike the glasses here. He ran his thumb over the rim of the schooner he was drinking, removing the lipstick smudge. He really hated that his mind provided an image of the League's former bars. The glasses there, even with the dust caused by the destruction, had been clean. What did it say when he thought that the League's stronghold was better than this bar?

It meant that the warp villain was a good bartender. He sighed.

Bakugou didn't appear to be having any such problem. The blond was happily drinking his beer. He looked at home here. "There has to be something."

Shouta looked at Bakugou, raising one eyebrow, questioning his assertion. He should know better.

"Shitty Deku is fucking funnelling money. There has to be gaps," the vigilante corrected.

"There are two ways for his finances to be that clean," Aizawa mused. Bakugou might not have his experience but Shouta had to admit that the young man had a sense for these things. And a will to take down Representative Kakurete that no one else seemed to possess. Plenty former heroes, or students didn't like the man but they lacked the will to do anything about it. Bakugou had never lacked that.

"One, they really are that clean, but since you assure me that they can't be, we will consider the second option."

"Which is?"

"That he's the best forger I've ever seen," Shouta told him. "Which-" he sighed, "-might actually be the truth."

Katsuki gave him a look, before taking pull from his pint.

"He never claims government expenses on travel," Aizawa told him.

"The bastard uses a chopper!" Bakugou objected. Shouta didn't deny it. Representative Kakurete was known to use a helicopter for short hops. It was his business helicopter, Aizawa knew a couple of journalists who had salivated when they'd found out. They'd never actually published, because there was no scandal.

"Business," Shouta told him. Tripping up politicians on expense claims was the easy way to create scandal. Representative Kakurete had apparently paid attention to the past. He was scrupulous in his dealings there. He was on record as saying that the use of his helicopter for government business was something he did for the public good. He didn't even make it a donation so there was no tax deduction there either.

"Food, entertainment?"

"Nothing. When he's at the Parliament building, he eats at the cafeteria. And the few expense claims he's put in for food have been verified very carefully. And he doesn't put in entertainment claims." All of that was public record. Junior reporters looked at those records every day hoping for a miss-step from any politician they could scandalise.

Bakugou shook his head. "Not claims. Has Deku received anything he shouldn't have?"

Shouta shook his head. It was possible Kakurete had been given gifts but if he had been, he wasn't flaunting them. "There's a few minor things that he declared." A moderately priced sake from the Indonesian Ambassador. A high precision magnetic trinket from a business associate. Things like that. None of the amounts were outrageous, and they were all correct. Aizawa had verified the prices himself.

On paper, Representative Imoku Kakurete was clean. It just confirmed the thought he was knee deep in the League. Except they couldn't prove it. And Aizawa was sure that even if he got unfettered access to Kakurete's finances, there wouldn't be much to find. The man seemed to be one of those villains who was meticulous, careful and didn't like to brag.

Except he did. Just with the right circumstances.

"Shitty Deku is not a saint," Bakugou growled.

"He's not, but he's very careful," Aizawa agreed, looking sharply at the vigilante. "Do you think you could get another meeting with him?"

The question might appear sudden but Katsuki understood what he was asking.

"Not likely," he snorted, before swallowing the last of his beer. "His bodyguards would probably restrain me on sight."

Shouta couldn't help the amused look he gave Bakugou. "What about privately?"

"His apartment building has security."

That was an interesting statement. Aizawa implied that Katsuki had already been caught by the security for him to reply that way.

"He wouldn't meet with you?" Bakugou turned the question around.

"Not after last time," Shouta was forced to admit.

Katsuki snorted, slamming his empty glass down. "If I could get five min… no two minutes alone with him, I'd have that Deku begging to tell me everything."

"And he would have anything he said suppressed in thirty seconds, and you in Tartarus in another thirty." It was a flippant statement but the Representative's legal team probably was that good.

Bakugou growled at the rejoiner, but didn't dispute it. He pushed back his chair suddenly, and after a glare stalked over the bar.

Aizawa heaved a mental sigh. The boy was still touchy but had a good grasp on reality because that was the reality of Katsuki's desire. If he so much as touched Imoku without proof, then the Representative would bring the law down on the vigilante, and it wouldn't be a slap on the wrist. Shouta could guarantee, Kakurete would not show mercy.

And once Bakugou was in Tartarus, or even in remand, he as good, but the League simply had more people. The League would think nothing of sacrificing pawns to get rid of the vigilante. The explosive vigilante seemed to forget they were the underdog here. They had to be careful.

Even if he didn't like it. Especially if he didn't like it.

Shouta drank another mouthful of beer.

Bakugou would be sensible.

-afop-

Ujiko enjoyed the privileges her quirk gave her. Sure, it wasn't the same as Kurogiri's but it was still a warp quirk and in her society, that made her practically untouchable. In a fight, everyone knew she'd just warp you away, probably straight into the fighting den Dabi ran. No one wanted to face the Noumu's. And you didn't want to upset her for other reasons, simply because warp quirks were so valuable.

Add in the fact she was a member of the League of Villains and in the underworld, she was practically a Queen. She never felt bad about accepting drinks from people wanting favours. She did her part. Even if that part wasn't strictly speaking combat. She also kept the League's secrets. She helped keep the League safe.

Imoku thought he was completely hidden. Their unknown boss. There were plenty of people out there who suspected him. She'd had to keep him safe more than once, especially early on, when people saw him profiting from the League's actions. She'd insinuated that he was paying them - which he was - and that had settled them. But those who she'd settled, knew about him.

Maybe that's how Overhaul had found him? Ujiko shrugged. Eh, that had turned out okay, and she still followed Imoku, even when he killed Tomura. So she was a good member.

But she did like to ensure she had contingencies.

That's why, even though she helped Kurogiri with the delivery business, and helped Dabi with other things, she kept a few private interests. It wasn't that hard. All she had to do was make sure she wasn't caught and with a warp quirk, she had people willing to be her lackeys. And she made sure to keep things separate from the League. Dabi was in Tokyo, so she took Osaka. It wasn't like the commute was bad.

"Your usual?" Tsukisoi, the bartender asked.

Ujiko nodded and strutted to the back corner. That was her place. Everyone here knew it and the table was empty. A few times it hadn't been and that had been unfortunate.

She sat down, leaning against the wall. No one would approach until her drink arrived. Ujiko looked around. There was a few new people in tonight. Ujiko liked this bar because it had a reasonably large itinerant turn over. That meant her activities were hidden and if someone came too often, it was noticed unless they were one of the regulars.

She let her eyes examine the newbies. One was blond. His hair was slicked back. Young. Early twenties with red eyes. He was sitting at the bar, nursing a beer. The other was older. Black hair, and squinty eyes with large bags underneath. He was dressed in black, which in the relative gloom of the bar made it hard to discern him. She didn't like him but… he hadn't done anything yet.

Tsukisoi brought her drink. He sat down briefly. "Long night?" He always asked. It was a ritual and Ujiko had gotten used to it. If there was any expected trouble, he told her then but usually there was nothing.

"Maybe," she told him, reaching out for the glass. It would depend on business. "Depends on if I get someone new." Despite how her quirk worked, she had a steady stream of customers who needed discreet transportation. She had kept a low profile over the years. Sure the cops knew that she was a member of the League of Villains but she hadn't actually done that much stuff. As a result, she was relatively free to travel and provided transport to others.

"They are having a bit of a tiff," Tsukisoi told her about the bar and the newcomers she had noted earlier.

Ujiko took a sip but her expression relayed her question.

"They came in together," he explained, his eyes flickering, as if to indicate the people behind him.

"Ah," she said, putting down the glass. Ujiko shrugged. "No trouble?"

He considered it. "I don't think so," he said, rising. The bartender couldn't leave the bar unattended for too long and she nodded as he left. Ujiko already knew by the time she finished her drink the next one would be waiting.

She took another sip and watched as the blond picked up his beer and stomped back to the table the other newbie was sitting at. He appeared angry but resigned. The black haired man appeared… Wasn't that interesting? He was controlled but she thought she detected the slightest hint of a smug smile.

Having the blond return to the table was probably his victory. Ujiko sat back. The two of them might just be here for the night, but at least they'd make the night interesting.

-afop-

It took Aizawa a moment to realise Katsuki wasn't actually glaring at him when the blond returned. The vigilante slammed his pint down, sloshing beer over the rim on to the table. He kept glaring. To anyone watching it would seem as if Bakugou was glaring at him, but Shouta could see the focus of his former student's eyes. He was watching something, someone behind him.

"Are you going to be reasonable?" the former underground hero asked, knowing that if anyone was watching, some sort of conversation was expected.

"Not about Deku," Katsuki spat.

Aizawa nodded but he flicked his eyes to indicate he'd caught on to Bakugou's interest, even if he didn't know exactly what it was.

"But we should focus on the others," Bakugou continued.

Shouta felt excitement stir at the statement. His back suddenly itched. There was no one really looking, he knew that, but there was someone behind him. He hadn't got to pick the table. Bakugou had. It was near the centre of the bar. He would have taken one against a wall. He had though managed to ensure he was sitting facing the door. Maybe that wasn't such a good choice.

"You have a plan for them?" he asked, fishing for an answer as to who Bakugou had spotted.

"Working on it," the vigilante replied, lifting his pint. He took a few gulps. It was all very normal. Shouta felt somewhat proud. He couldn't, and didn't want to claim all of Bakugou's skills as taught by him, but he had given the boy a foundation. And Katsuki learned his lessons well.

Aizawa forced himself to gulp another slug of his drink as he waited for Bakugou to tell him something relevant.

"You know the one I said was new?" Bakugou asked suddenly.

He thought back over the conversations they'd had over the last little bit. When had Katsuki mentioned a new member of the League. Right at the beginning. In his storage shed. He cocked his head at the memory.

Bakugou grinned.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You planned this," Aizawa accused. Bakugou was fighting in Dabi's Osaka ring but it wasn't just to avoid notice in Tokyo!

Katsuki didn't even look guilty but Shouta knew his statement was the truth. He could leave. That would throw Bakugou's plan out the window but this was a chance. And they needed a chance. He sighed. If it was the one he thought it was, then he needed to be sitting where Bakugou was.

"Gonna piss," he announced, rising.

Bakugou was good but it was still amusing to see the faint look of shock on his face. It was as if he thought he'd have to nurse Shouta through this entire affair. He was almost insulted. He'd been taking down villains since before Katsuki was in diapers!

Shouta made his way to the lav, and in case anyone was watching he did urinate. He half expected Katsuki to follow him but he hadn't and after washing his hands, Aizawa returned, stopping at the bar to order another drink. He wasn't planning on actually drinking it but it would keep up the act. He glanced to his table. Katsuki had moved to where he had been sitting, and was now drinking what was left of the drink Shouta had left.

He huffed theatrically, looking to the bartender, who simply nodded at him and poured another pint. Shouta took them back to the table, taking the opportunity to examine the tables he hadn't been looking at.

It was obvious who Bakugou was paying attention to. The woman was ensconced in the corner. She didn't look to be anything special but that wasn't the point. If this was Ujiko then it was an opportunity to capture one of the key League members. He assessed the rest of the bar. She was sitting alone but he wasn't green enough to trust that was the truth. On the other hand, no one looked like they were her lackies. Even so, he had to give Katsuki props for turning his back on her.

"Thanks," Bakugou said, taking the pint as he slouched back into the chair.

"So, do we want to continue as we have been?" Aizawa asked. "I'll look into things and you do the legwork?"

Katsuki grinned. He understood the code. "Then let's do this!"

-afop-

Ujiko watched the two newbies as she sipped at her drink but they were kind of boring. The only amusement was when the black haired man went to the lav and came back, only to find that his companion had stolen the last of his drink. He appeared resigned as he bought another. It was a petty form of argument but it was fun to watch.

He sat back down, now facing her but she couldn't see much as the blond was shielding him. She took a sip of her drink and looked around the bar. It would be a quiet night.

At least, that's what she thought, until there was a shout. It accompanied a crash and Ujiko looked up to see the blond barrelling towards her. There were explosions coming from his palms.

She knew him. ExplodoKill. Ujiko's face twisted into a smile and she activated her quirk…

At least, she tried to. She saw a second set of red eyes before ExplodoKill barrelled into her. No one had ever accused the vigilante of being stupid. His went for the throat, and she was slammed into the wall, his hand tightly gripping her. The implication was obvious. If she tried to activate her quirk, he would squeeze.

Ujiko looked around him. The black haired man was rising. His eyes looked raw but they were black again. She hissed. She knew who he had to be now. Eraser Head. Imoku was not going to be pleased.

"You're slow, Bitch," ExplodoKill mocked. "And far too reliant on your shitty quirk."

She glared at him. It hurt to realise it was true.

"You are coming with us, Bitch," ExplodoKill growled at her.

No one in the bar moved.

"You think you can hold me?" she challenged.

ExplodoKill squeezed. It was hard to breathe but Ujiko made sure her face was blank. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Oh, I think so. I'm not the police," he chuckled. He set off explosions in his free hand.

Eraser Head stood. "Let's go," he told the vigilante.

"Moonlighting is very much frowned upon," Ujiko told him.

Imoku had assured that. Vigilantism had harsh penalties, and they were applied and they were more heavily applied to former heroes. The law had to be maintained.

One of the bar regulars jumped towards them. ExplodoKill didn't even glance away. An explosion caught the man, sending him flying back into the wall.

"Who wants some?" ExplodoKill laughed.

"Let's go," Eraser Head repeated, holding out something.

ExplodoKill took whatever it was and grinned at her. His teeth caught on his lips giving him a sinister look. He carefully took his hand from her throat to grab at her hands.

"Tsukisoi!" She cried.

The barman looked at her. He cocked his head. Ujiko hissed! After all the things she'd done for him! This was the gratitude she got!

ExplodoKill laughed, and Ujiko felt something locked around her hands. She tried to activate her quirk again but nothing happened. She knew what that felt like. Her eyes widened.

"Idiot," ExplodoKill told her, and began dragging her.

Ujiko looked down at her hands. She recognised the cuffs. Quirk suppressant.

She pulled back. ExplodoKill was stronger. He didn't even look back at her.

Fuck! She'd really fucked this up. But Ujiko remained stoic. All she needed was a chance. A few seconds. That's all she needed to get away.

She could turn this around. She would turn this around.

She just needed the chance.

-afop-

Ujiko stared at the officers. They were looking at her with flat eyes. ExplodoKill had given her over to Eraser Head, who had called someone from the Police. They had come up with some story about how the off duty officer had arrested her. The man, Kirishima, had grinned at her, and dragged her back to the station. It wasn't his regular station. He was on leave but the Police were the Police.

She'd been here for hours. Surely the League knew she was here. Couldn't Kurogiri do something? And now she was in interrogation.

"We know when you are lying," an older officer told her. His eyes were unnaturally opened wide and grey was touching his temples.

She huffed. "All right," Ujiko spat. If the League wasn't going to do anything, then she'd have to get herself out of here. And if that cost Imoku a bit to cover up, well so be it. She'd just lost her businesses!

Given that Dabi had told her to stop them, indicating it was Imoku's order, he owed her already! And maybe… Imoku had ordered them to get rid of ExplodoKill but what if he just wanted ExplodoKill to get rid of them? Imoku wasn't a proper villain anyway. Not like Sensei. It would serve him right for her to cause him trouble. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," the Officer told her. "Start at the top."

"What, at Dabi?"

"Not Dabi. We want to know the real leader."

Ujiko worried one lip slightly. "Okay," she said slowly. She couldn't be too eager. No doubt Imoku would get the transcripts.

"I think you've said enough."

The voice came from the door.

Ujiko wasn't the only one who looked over. A woman stood there in a sharp suit. The blazer was fitted over a tight red dress. It should look slutty but it was classy. The suit screamed money. This wasn't a woman who was going to be messed with.

"Who are you?" the Officer demanded.

"Detective Tsukauchi," the woman nodded at the officer with a small smile. "You are quite a ways from Tokyo, but the procedures are the same, even in the sticks. I'm her lawyer. Hikokuno Bengoshi."

Ujiko had never heard of her. Not surprising. Imoku would have called the closest Lawyer in and told them exactly what to do. _Finally._

"I would like to speak with my client," Hikokuno said in that tone all lawyers could take. It said without words that the Police had better obey or she would make their lives miserable.

"Of course, Bengoshi."

The officers looked disappointed. Ujiko smiled viciously at them as they left the room.

The woman took their place, looking over at Ujiko. The warp villain examined her. The woman was thin. She had brown hair styled in curls down to her shoulder blades. It looked artfully messy without a single strand being out of place. Her makeup was similarly perfect. This was a woman who knew she looked good and used that as just another weapon. She put a small leather bound pocket on the interrogation table.

"You can get me out?" Ujiko didn't bother with pleasantries.

Hikokuno smiled at her. It was surprisingly warm and real. She opened the satchel of papers. "How did you get taken?" she asked.

"That fucking vigilante, ExplodoKill."

Her lawyer nodded. "Wrongful arrest by vigilante," she murmured, "though the Police will fight that."

"That's what happened!" Ujiko objected.

"That's not what their records say happened," Hikokuno told her. "Arresting officer: Eijiro Kirishima."

"Only after ExplodoKill."

"You can prove that? There are witnesses?"

Ujiko thought back to the bar and the way Tsukisoi had looked at her. She remembered the way the others had looked. She bit her lip. She didn't like the answer. "Maybe not," she had to admit.

Hikokuno sighed. "I'll work on that," she promised.

"You can still get me out, right?" Ujiko pressed.

"Of course," the woman said. "It's just a matter of finding the right reason," she added comfortingly. "Who else was there?"

"Eraser Head." Ujiko spat. If he hadn't been there, ExplodoKill wouldn't have been a problem. The vigilante would be somewhere far away at the moment.

"Interesting, except again the Police haven't noted him," Hikokuno said.

"They are liars."

"That may be, but for the moment you are in their system."

"Well he was there. That has to mean something."

"Oh, it does," Bengoshi allowed with a smile. She took a few notes. "The penalties for former heroes engaging in vigilantism are quite high."

Ujiko nodded her agreement, but that wasn't the real issue here. "When can I get out?" She asked. She really didn't like the walls.

Hikokuno looked at her. "When we find the right reason." She held up one perfectly manicured hand. Her nail polish was the exact same shade of red as her dress. "The law is simply a series of procedures and technicalities. The Police have to stick to procedures, and to get you out, it's just a matter of finding the procedure they didn't follow."

Ujiko nodded. She wasn't familiar with the procedures, but the explanation made sense.

"But I am curious," Hikokuno continued. "I didn't hear the entire conversation with Detective Tsukauchi but he was asking about the real leader."

Again Ujiko nodded. The officer had asked.

"What were you about to tell him?"

She thought back the few minutes to then. Ujiko was controlled enough not to flinch. Hikokuno would have heard her say 'Okay'. "I wasn't going to say anything," she said defensively.

"Really?" There was a note of mocking doubt in the woman's tone.

"I wasn't!" Ujiko defended.

"The boss sent me to get you out," Hikokuno said. "So I will get you out. I'm asking for my curiosity."

The statement was meant to make Ujiko feel at ease. It didn't. Sure the lawyer might have been sent by the boss but the villain wasn't about to get all buddy buddy.

"I was going to tell them Kurogiri," Ujiko lied. "Technically, he's my boss, right?"

The woman gave a small chuckle. "Technically," she nodded her agreement.

Ujiko resisted the urge to frown. There was something wrong with that chuckle, and while the lawyer had been sent by the League how much did she know? The internal workings weren't meant to be that open, and knowing that Kurogiri was technically the Manager of the League's transport business was not something others were meant to know. They could infer it. It was ridiculously easy to infer, especially given knowledge of the League's quirks, but they weren't meant to know it. Hikokuno knew it.

Bengoshi leaned forward, putting one elbow on the table and leaning into it, resting her head on her hand. "I don't believe you."

The statement was cold.

Ujiko snorted, recognising the tactic. If she wasn't going to be friendly, then the woman was going to try to threaten her. It was a power play. This wasn't the lawyer's job. "You don't have to believe me," she snapped, cocking her head to make it plain that, despite the cuffs, she was the one in control. This woman was just working for the League. She was just some uppity lawyer and she'd better do her job. "You just have to get me out of here."

Hikokuno waved one perfectly manicured hand. "I'll get you out of here, but I have to report to the boss as well, and I think you were about to say his name."

"I'm not that stupid," Ujiko retorted. "That's why I haven't needed personal supervision, like Toga! She'll blab the instant anyone looks at her funny!" Sheesh. Toga was the one Imoku had kept close and it sure as hell wasn't for her charming personality. It was because she was dumb. She thought her ability was perfect but Ujiko knew Imoku was keeping her close to ensure she didn't blab. Of all the League Toga was a weak link.

The lawyer smiled thinly. She pulled a tablet out of her document pocket. "That's not what the transcript indicates," she said, holding up the tablet to display a screen. These days, transcripts of interrogations were simply digitised from the mics in the room. They were virtually instantaneous. And since it was all automatic, there was no question about what happened. Her nails highlighted the words.

 _DNT: We know when you are lying._

 _PERP: All right. What do you want to know?_

 _DNT: Everything. Start at the top._

 _PERP: What, at Dabi?_

 _DNT: Not Dabi. We want to know the real leader._

 _PERP: Okay._

Hikokuno tapped at the final word. Okay.

Ujiko winced. Laid out in text it looked bad. "I had to say something!" she growled.

There was a ping. Hikokuno put the tablet down and reached into her jacket pocket. She pulled out a small phone. She read the message. "That's what I thought," she murmured, before putting the phone back into her pocket.

Hikokuno looked up, and smiled. It was not a nice smile. She raised one hand, and scratched at her neck, just behind her ear, before she flipped her hand forward.

Ujiko had braced at the smile but she hadn't expected the knife. Her eyes widened as it thunked into her shoulder. "Huh?"

There was a commotion from outside. The Police couldn't record the encounter, but they could watch. Another knife followed as Hikokuno rose. Ujiko couldn't defend herself. Her hands were chained to the table and she couldn't move. Ujiko's breath left her and she tasted blood.

"The boss is tired of your side businesses," Hikokuno said and Ujiko's eyes widened as her form melted.

"Toga…" she managed to say. Her eyes fixed on the other member of the League of Villains but her vision was narrowing. Toga might be a moron but she knew her way around a knife.

The vicious smile with a melting face was haunting. "And since you were about to blab, you are a liability," she added, her voice changing from the sophisticated woman into Toga's usual high pitched babble. Toga turned her grin to the door. "Bye bye."

A swirl of darkness appeared behind Toga and enveloped her, vanishing just as the bullets hit the wall.

Ujiko stared at the spot as her breathing became wet. The cops were yelling at her. Someone pushed her chest. There was nothing sexual about the motion. They were trying to stem the blood flow. It didn't matter. Blood loss wasn't the problem. The steel in her heart was.

A thousand things flowed through her mind but one stayed with clarity.

He'd planned this. Ujiko choked on blood. She tried to say his name but couldn't. Her vision was dark but she could see Imoku in her mind's eye. He was watching her with those sharp green eyes that saw so much. He had been chosen by Sensei and even dying she felt an absurd thankfulness that he hadn't taken her quirk even if he had killed her.

He had planned this, and as she breathed her last, Ujiko had the final thought, what else had he planned?

-afop-

"God damn fucking worthless arseholes!"

It was fair to say Bakugou was in a bad mood. He was raging on a beach which was strewn with rubbish.

"We had him!" he raged.

Aizawa couldn't agree with that. They had Ujiko, not Imoku. She had confirmed that the real boss of the League wasn't Dabi and according to the transcript, she had been about to reveal who that was when her lawyer arrived.

That was probably what was pissing off Katsuki. Police were meant to check that no one was using a quirk when they went into those rooms. Especially when they presented as a lawyer. The station was insisting the checks had been done but that this Hikokuno Bengoshi came up clean!

Please, even the name was suspect! How could they not have noticed?

And now Ujiko was dead, they knew Kurogiri was alive and well, and active, and Toga had gotten away.

And they had nothing on Imoku.

Again.

If he was the boss of the League, he was very, very good at ensuring no one knew it.

Aizawa hissed as watched Bakugou rage. At least the vigilante's frustration was cleaning up a part of the beach, even if it was just detonating the garbage.

Most villains made mistakes. They liked to brag. It was what made them villains.

He thought about the cases he'd had as an underground hero. There was always something the villain did wrong. Even the most frustrating cases, even the most clever of them. He refused to believe that Imoku was not making a mistake somewhere.

They just had to find it.

But he wasn't making it easy. He'd had the horrible thought that maybe Imoku Kakurete was exactly who he appeared to be. It was not an easy thought but it was logical. Maybe the real villain was just making them think he was Kakurete.

Except…

No! Aizawa refused to dwell on that. No villain was _that_ smart. And there were simply too many questions about Kakurete. Bakugou was also positive that Imoku was the bad guy. While as a teen he had been assessed out of the Hero program, that didn't change his instinct. Katsuki was brash but he had good skills.

And Imoku had apparently spoken to him. It had taken a while but Shouta had gotten a bad vid feed from that encounter. It was wobbly and blurred and taken from a phone, but there was something in the way Imoku had moved. It was more than confidence, it was something that told Aizawa that the politician had never been in doubt as to the outcome. And then afterwards, when Bakugou was on the ground, it was hard to see but Kakurete had just radiated smugness. For a politician, it wasn't unusual but after confronting someone that young, it wasn't right.

There was a footfall from behind him. Shouta turned. Kirishima stood there. His head was bowed.

"I'm sorry," the special forces member said.

Shouta gave his acknowledgement but turned back to Bakugou. He was still swearing and while he was generally quite repetitive, once he got going, he displayed the breadth of his vocabulary in that particular aspect of speech.

"It's not your fault," Aizawa told Kirishima.

"We should have put her under better guard, especially once it became clear she was going to talk."

Aizawa nodded. He'd had this type of thought before. In hindsight it was always easy to see what should have been done. "You couldn't have stopped Toga," he reminded the other man as they both watched Bakugou work out his anger. Microwaves, ovens, refrigerators. It didn't matter what it was. It was all being blasted to pieces.

"We should have picked up her quirk," Kirishima objected.

That was true but they'd already gone through that. "No, what I mean was that you couldn't have stopped the lawyer," he clarified. The police had to let Ujiko's lawyer see her. And while it had been Toga this time, Aizawa was certain the League would have been able to find someone else, a real lawyer who'd do their dirty work.

They already had them, just that those lawyers didn't actually kill. They would have worked something out.

"I don't know why they killed her," Kirishima said, moving on.

Aizawa gave his former student a look. One that told Enjiro he was being stupid.

"Not that, Sensei!" He held up his hands defensively. Over the years, Kirishima had learned to think faster. "Kurogiri pulled out Toga. They could have done the same to Ujiko. Sending in Toga gives us information since we now know they can circumvent the quirk check."

That was true.

"That's what I don't understand," Kirishima finished.

"Because that fucking Deku is showing off!" Bakugou growled, stomping up to them.

Shouta blinked. Was that the mistake Imoku was making? Was he actually showing off with these events? Except, how did they trap him in the act? That was the question.

"He's fucking rubbing our faces in the fact we can't do anything to him!"

That might be true but there was still nothing Shouta could see to leverage. He sighed. "This is not your failure," he told Katsuki.

"I'm fucking killing that bitch next time I see her!" Bakugou snarled, explosions popping on his hands.

"Questioning her might be better," Kirishima suggested.

Aizawa noted he had his quirk active. Kirishima had definitely learned a lot since UA.

"I'll fucking question her! She'll be begging me to sing!" He was breathing hard.

"Then how do we find her?"

"We?" Katsuki snapped. "There is no fucking we! I'll do the work, as usual."

Kirishima gave his friend a look. "Ujiko was only taken in because I agreed to pretend, but if even one person from the bar spoke up, you know it would have all fallen apart. Ujiko isn't that well known as a League member."

"Toga is though," Bakugou countered.

"Yes, but you still have to follow process."

At that Katsuki laughed. "I'm a vigilante," he announced proudly. "There is no fucking process beyond beat the shit out of them until they talk."

Kirishima looked to Aizawa, as if in appeal. The former underground hero just stared blankly back. Bakugou had put it crudely but that was the limit of his process. He didn't have to play by the rules and he was coming to believe that in this case… maybe that was the only way to win since the rules did seem to be protecting Kakurete. And even more than that, he was in a position to make the rules favour him.

"You still have to find her," Kirishima eventually countered.

"Oh, I will," Katsuki muttered, gritting his teeth. "The only way that shitty Deku wins is over my dead body."

Aizawa nodded. Kirishima did as well. They knew Bakugou. Others might think the statement merely rhetoric. The vigilante would make it true, if that's what it took.

And that's why they would succeed. Eventually.

 **-afop-**

Notes (Because I'm lazy with names)

被告の弁護士 Hikoku no bengoshi translates defendant's lawyer

-afop-


	25. Part 2: Chapter 7

**Part2: Chapter 7**

Inko smiled at Representative Kakurete as she handed him a homemade snack. He always accepted her snacks after giving a speech.

"Thank you, Inko. You shouldn't have."

And he always said she shouldn't have.

She shook her head. Of course she should have! No matter what he had said that one time, she knew Imoku Kakurete wasn't Izuku. He had said that to comfort her. He had apologised later and while Inko desperately wanted his words to be true, she knew they weren't. He was, however, the one man who had made sure that the investigation into Izuku's disappearance was never forgotten. He was the one who made the police chase up any new leads. He was the man who made sure the world hadn't forgotten Izuku.

He'd even named a piece of legislation after Izuku. It was dealing with Quirkless rights. It was enough to make her cry at times. And when she did, he was someone who would comfort her, silently handing her a handkerchief and making sure she recovered.

So how could she not ensure he got little treats and other homemade goods? He lived alone, and as a Representative she had no idea if he could cook, or even if he had the time. He could go to the most upmarket restaurants. She knew that, but he always accepted her cooking and he always complimented her on the taste. He was genuine about it as well. If he wasn't, she was sure that after all these years, he'd have found some way to tell her.

As a result, every time Representative Kakurete was giving a speech in her area, or even a little bit away, she was always there with snacks. He'd actually arranged clearances for her, so that she was always close at hand.

Inko was realistic. Imoku travelled more than she could, and she knew he was well fed then, but that didn't stop her.

He bit into the small muffin. It was specially made to be packed with calories. One of his assistants had told Inko that Imoku's quirk was high calorie. She didn't know what it was but she made sure she packed as many calories into her snacks as she could. Tazukuri was good as were Koinobori biscuits but she had found that western food was sometimes better since it often tasted better cold. She wanted Imoku to enjoy her snacks.

"It always tastes so good, Inko!" he said, taking another bite.

She smiled and handed him another. This one was wrapped in a napkin. He placed it in a pocket and took another large bite out of the first one. Then he smiled at her, reaching up to brush away crumbs. Inko smiled back, and that was enough.

She couldn't keep him, and she watched as Representative Kakurete turned to the crowds who had gathered. That was another thing she liked about the Representative. He cared for the people he spoke to, genuinely cared. He always made time to speak to people one on one after his speeches, not like other politicians who were whisked away by their security and never actually knew the people they were meant to represent. There was a reason Imoku was one of the most popular members of the House of Representatives. She was proud to call him her friend.

That's why she smiled and clapped as he moved on, and she turned with the rest of the group to follow him. Inko had done this often enough that she knew what was expected. Those who were in the 'support crowd', where she stood, had to smile, clap and look adoring. Imoku had laughed at the description but he didn't deny its truth. She tracked Representative Kakurete's suited form with her eyes, He was smiling and shaking hands, and generally answering questions.

He looked happy, and the crowd was happy.

The world changed so fast. Inko wasn't sure what it was. Someone didn't look as happy. A spike of alarm went through Inko, but she wasn't too concerned. Kakurete had bodyguards after all. It wasn't until the woman shouted, and drew a gun that Inko knew it wasn't just someone who disagreed!

"Hero killer!" The scream was audible even over the general noise of the crowd. The woman thrust the gun out.

Inko saw the look of concern in Imoku's face. It was all she needed to act. The gun fired, but it was already leaving the woman's hand.

"Ugh," Inko shuddered. The bullet hit her just a moment before the gun arrived. She staggered, but saw Imoku's bodyguards move. Two barreled into the woman while another two shielded him. She smiled, even as she fell.

It hadn't hit him.

The crowd screamed, and most ran. Guns were not unheard of in their society but they were rare enough. They were wise enough to run.

"Inko!" The shout was clear. She felt hands press into her side, covering the wound. Someone picked up the gun.

"Get paramedics!" There was panic in the order but it was commanding enough that it would be obeyed.

Inko looked up at the sky. People crowded around her. She could feel the footsteps through the ground.

"Inko, look at me!"

That wasn't hard to do. She recognised Imoku looming over her. His green curls fell over his face which was twisted in worry. His eyes were wide. They were pained.

"It's okay," she said. She'd do it again. She'd do it because he looked so much like Izuku because he gave her hope.

Imoku shook his head. "Stay with me," he commanded. She recognised the tone. It was the same as when he told crowds to trust him. It carried power, and she felt herself obeying.

"How long?" Imoku yelled, looking up.

Inko could see down her body. She could feel the pain dully. It was odd, it wasn't as searing as she expected. She could see her blood on Imoku's suit. He kept his hands on her abdomen, holding the wound.

And then he was pushed away. Inko didn't recognise the people but she knew the uniform. Paramedics. One of them put gauze against her wound, while another put a mask over her face. It was only then, with the feel of oxygen that she realised how difficult it had been to breathe.

There was a rattle beside her and she saw the leg of a stretcher before she was lifted on to it. Inko looked to Imoku. The man was still standing. Her blood was on his suit. It was shockingly red and there was a pained look in his eyes. He looked stricken. Inko felt sick.

"I'm sorry… Iz-"

And then she knew no more.

-afop-

Izuku didn't really see the ambulance leave. He just stared into the area it had been, even as gawkers moved back into the area. There were shouted questions and the flash of cameras. He didn't hear them. He didn't see it.

That was Inko in the ambulance. His _mother_. His _real_ mother, not the fiction Toga was playing. He didn't know what to do. His bodyguards helped him to rise but he still didn't know what to do. He wanted to follow. He wanted to scream, to rage… he wanted to hurt someone.

Izuku spun to glare where the woman had been standing. There was now a gaggle of police there. They had her in cuffs. It wasn't enough. She was staring defiantly at him. Izuku trembled.

"Sir! You are going into shock!" The worried voice was one of his bodyguards.

Izuku didn't care. Shock? It didn't matter. The woman was still free.

"Sir, come this way please."

Before he could do anything his bodyguards crowded around him, and herded him towards a the car he had used to get here. Izuku shook himself. He couldn't afford to be shocked now, and he could go to see his mother soon. She was in good hands. That would be enough.

He stopped moving.

"Sir, please."

"It's okay," he said softly, and pushed the wall of men aside.

The bystanders had been pushed back by the police and there was now a cordon. The shouts from reporters began anew as he emerged from the protective wall of his security. He looked around. There was still blood on the ground.

Izuku bit the inside of his lip before he cried. The pain of that took the tears from his eyes and he fished into his pocket, walking to the area where there was blood. Izuku knelt and placed the small muffin there. It looked odd but he then turned and walked away, allowing his bodyguards to pack him into his car.

Let the reporters make what they would of the gesture. He knew what it meant.

Once inside his vehicle, Izuku shivered, but he quickly pulled himself together. He hadn't really seen his attacker until it was too late. He'd been thinking about the broadcast from Hizashi Yamada. The man had a new segment and he had featured on it. The segment itself was silly. Who looks like someone else?

The suggestion that All Might in his Prime was a new Arnold Schwarzenegger was hysterical. At least, it had been once Izuku had looked up the historical figure. But Imoku did not need the phoned in suggestion that he was Izuku Midoriya. At least the moron who called in the suggestion wasn't Bakugou.

That would have been too obvious, even for the group opposing him. He already knew Bakugou was with them but they had been careful to keep him in the background. Oh, he was in play. His attack on Toga was proof of that. Him applying to BioSimip as a guard was another, and the police could say all they wanted that Kirishima had arrested Ujiko, he knew better.

So the caller wasn't Bakugou. But that just meant there was someone else in on the Alliance as he liked to call it. He thought he knew most of them. Mirio was their public face. The boy was running for office in the House of Representatives. He wasn't running in the same electorate as Imoku. They weren't that stupid, but he was running in another and he was reasonably popular. That was Sir Nighteye's work.

Tomura should have killed him, not just removed his quirk. The man was intelligent, and was obviously the brains of the operation.

Bakugou was the grunt. He would do the work that they couldn't be seen doing and Aizawa was clearly the one they were using to do investigations. The man had skills but Imoku was equally sure of his skills. Sensei hadn't taught him to be second best, after all.

There were others involved. Hizashi was one and he thought All Might was involved but the man was never directly seen. There were probably others too, serving roles as needed. Actually, he should probably include Ujiko's arresting officer in on the Alliance. He didn't think Shouto Todoroki was in on it, but at the same time, from what Imoku had gathered from the Special Forces Officer, Todoroki wouldn't cry if something happened. He wasn't that type of man.

So he'd been distracted. Most of the suggestions about those who looked alike had been laughed at. Except his. The reaction to his wasn't as jovial. At least he didn't think it was.

He'd been thinking about it, wondering if he'd been over reacting, when the attack took place. He could have stopped it. Spark could have prevented the gunpowder from igniting.

Maybe.

Now Inko was injured, and he was sitting in his vehicle, covered in blood.

Imoku looked over at Hesho, his personal assistant. The man was white but he was functioning. "Inform the police I wish to press charges," he told him. "And I will fund any charges Inko wants to bring," he added.

Hesho nodded, noting it down.

"Find out who she is," he said jerking one hand towards the woman the police had in cuffs. It was only then that he noticed the blood covering his hands. Inko's blood.

Again Hesho nodded. "Sir, we have to get you to the hospital for a check up, and the police will want to talk to you."

Imoku nodded, deliberately working through the problem. "Tell the Detectives I'm available whenever they need," he said. The sentence wasn't a rote formula but the answer was expected.

"Then let's get you to the hospital," Hesho said as two bodyguards got into the vehicle.

Imoku nodded. It would be good to see Inko.

It was only after they arrived that he realised it was for him. He let the doctors do the tests they wanted. He might be still shocked, but he knew what he was going to do. The concept of mercy did not feature in his plans.

-afop-

Himiko knew there was a problem when Kurogiri appeared, a bunch of clothes in his misty hand. "Come with me," the instruction was terse.

She shared a glance with Dabi. The fire villain didn't appear to be any better informed.

"Someone took a shot at Imoku," the League's warp gate explained.

That got their attention. Toga shot up and took the suit. She knew what was needed now. Before she changed, she opened her bag, and fished for the right blood vial. She downed it with a single gulp, and felt her features shift. Then she put the suit on, and Kurogiri became another gate, which she walked through.

It took her a moment to recognise her apartment. "This will look more natural," Kurogiri explained.

Himiko wanted to argue but she knew it was true. She gave the mist villain a weak smile. Even when concerned, Kurogiri was still thinking. Just like Imoku. Toga grabbed her 'mother's bag' the one she used when she was being Imoku's mother, and hurried out of her apartment, closing the door behind her. At the base of the apartment building she hailed a taxi. It was frustrating having to do that, when Kurogiri could have just put her wherever she needed to go, but it made sense. If anyone questioned things, they would find out she came out of her apartment, which was completely normal.

It would be nice when they could dispense with the fictions.

She browsed her phone in the taxi and found out what happened. The reports said a bystander had been hit. Himiko felt relief at that but it didn't change the fact that someone had taken a shot at her Izu! The reports said the assailant was female. Himiko wasn't happy about that, but it did mean she would most likely have to take care of the woman, because there was absolutely no question about that. The League would not let their boss be shot at!

There was a gaggle of reporters at the hospital doors. Paying the taxi driver gave Himiko a few moments to compose herself before she got out. At least this form wasn't well known and she managed to push past the reporters into the white of the hospital's reception. There she spotted one of Imoku's bodyguards..

"Mrs Kakurete!"

The call was loud enough to get her attention but thankfully not loud enough to attract attention from outside. Toga hobbled over to the man, hating the form she had now. At least being recognised meant she wouldn't have to prove to security who she was.

"This way please. Imoku is through here."

Himiko nodded as the bodyguard lead the way. "What happened?" she asked urgently. Toga had read the reports but it was better to hear it first hand.

"There was a shooter," came the grim response. There was a note of self blame in the tone. There should be! The bodyguard's job was to make sure there was nothing like that.

"Imoku didn't notice but Mrs Midoriya did. She did something, and was hit."

Himiko bit her lip. She didn't know what else to do. Over time, she had gotten Izu's story. How he had been recruited by the League's founder. How he had agreed to be made older, and how he was serving them all in being a Representative. She was the only one in the League, apart from Kurogiri who knew the whole truth.

At first she'd liked Imoku because he was older, and he tolerated her. He didn't respond with horror at her suggestions to cover him with blood. He'd simply told her that it wasn't to be his blood. It had been playful and she liked that. It helped that he wasn't afraid of her like so many others were. He wasn't afraid to tell her to stop. He was great. And he had only become greater when she learned he was actually her age. Probably younger.

She was loyal to Imoku before the League. Himiko had proven that often enough.

When Izuku had made contact with his real mother, she hadn't know what to think. She'd watched the interactions carefully before she had relaxed. There was desire in Izu's movement but it was not sexual. It was simply desire which expressed his regret. He still loved his mother but Toga knew he loved her too. She focused on that.

Besides, if she'd had of had the type of relationship Izuku seemed to have with his real mother that she thought he had, she'd want to still be around her mother. Inko was a nice woman. A genuinely nice woman. While it wasn't the same, Himiko could see the echo of their relationship in the way Izu dealt with her as Imoku.

"We're here," the bodyguard said, gesturing towards a door.

Toga nodded, and went in. It was a small room. There was a single bed, but Imoku wasn't in it. Instead, he was standing at the window, looking out.

"I said, I don't want to be disturbed," he growled at the sound of the door opening. He didn't turn.

"Izu?" Himiko whispered uncertainly. He sounded so angry.

He turned. There were tears streaming down his face. His green eyes were almost red. That's all she saw before there were strong arms wrapped around her waist and Imoku was on his knees in front of her, sobbing into her midriff.

Tentatively Toga placed her hands on Izu's shoulders, rubbing at them. It was what a mother would do. He clung tighter, his entire body trembling.

"Izu?" Toga again whispered after a few minutes.

"She's dead," he balled. He took great, shuddering breaths. "She's dead," he repeated.

For a moment Himiko didn't know who Izu was talking about. Then she realised who it had to be.

Inko Midoriya.

Toga said nothing. Instead, she reached down awkwardly and wrapped her arms around Imoku. She allowed her knees to bend so that she was sitting on the floor. Izu was practically lying on it, still clinging to her.

"She's dead," he repeated. "They were meant to help her."

There was nothing she could say to that. Did she tell Izu that Inko had gone to a better place? Did she tell Izu it was for the best? None of those would ring true to him. If she tried those excuses Izu would think she wanted Inko dead herself… which was kind of true. There had been times when she'd thought of killing Inko. Himiko never had because she knew it would make Izu sad. Sad like this and that wasn't fun.

"I'll have her taken care of," Toga said eventually.

"Who?" Imoku asked.

"The woman who shot her," Himiko explained.

He squeezed her. Toga felt happy at that. "You can't," Imoku said, sniffing hard as he looked up at her. It had to be an uncomfortable position. He was lying on his belly, his arms around her, with his head arched up to look at her. Izu released her and pushed himself upright, rolling over so that he was sitting beside her.

Himiko took his hand. "Of course I can," she replied. She might have wanted Inko dead, but she wanted Izu happy more. And killing the woman who had killed Inko would make Izu happy.

"No, you can't," he repeated, his voice trembling. He sniffed again, swallowing snot. "If you kill her, you confirm the link between the League and me, and that's what they want."

He didn't say who they were. He didn't have to. ExplodoKill. The former Heroes. The list wasn't that long but it did exist. Toga hissed. She wanted to kill that list.

"But!" She objected. They couldn't do nothing.

"You can't kill her," Imoku confirmed. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes. They were still red, and from the way they watered, Himiko could tell that Izu was trying not to cry. "Besides, I don't want her dead. I want her in pain," he hissed.

Ah, that was something Toga understood. She smiled. It probably looked odd on her older form but Imoku understood. He got up, off the floor and held out his hand to help her rise.

"I want her to scream. I want her to beg for mercy. I want her to bleed."

Those were all sentiments Himiko was intimately familiar with.

"Then I won't have her killed," she assured him.

"Still no," Imoku said, suddenly cold. "You can't do anything against her. I on the other hand, can make sure that she gets buried in the legal system."

"Oh, Izu! That's not as much fun!"

He sighed. "It's not," he agreed. "But you can't kill her now. You can't touch her now." He took a deep breath, sighing as he returned to the window. Himiko moved with him. "I never said anything about later," Imoku added.

Himiko grinned. That was the Izu she knew. "Just tell me when!" She told him, moving close. Imoku wrapped one arm around her shoulder, drawing her close, much as a son would for his mother and they stood there, looking out at the city.

-afop-

"Her name is Yū Takeyama," Hesho told Imoku as he entered the office.

"Put the file on the table," Representative Imoku indicated.

"Sir?"

Imoku had wanted every bit of information that could be collected about the woman who had attempted to kill him but now he appeared indifferent.

"Put it on the table," Imoku repeated.

"Are you alright, Sir?"

"No."

Hesho jerked at the statement. It wasn't what he expected.

The Representative sighed heavily. "But I will be," he added, turning towards his personal assistant. "You have made the arrangements?"

Hesho nodded. "Yes, Sir. The funeral details are in your diary," he told his boss. If they were in the diary that meant Imoku would be attending. Certain events never made it to the diary. That meant Imoku only went to them if he felt like it, or there was time. Anything that made it into the diary was a certainty.

Inko Midoriya's funeral was one event. Imoku had actually blocked out the time personally but let Hesho find out the relevant details.

"I'll look at her details later," Imoku assured Hesho. "For the moment, make an appointment with Phoenix Wave."

Hesho nodded. "Advertisement?" He asked. That would help him with the length of the meeting.

"No. Instructions," Imoku told him.

The personal assistant felt his eyes widen. Imoku Kakurete owned Phoenix Wave, which was responsible for a few online news feeds. A few years ago they had focused on Heroes but they had made the transition in post Hero society to other news. Phoenix Wave had various streams of news and print under their control, so that they catered for a large variety of consumers. Imoku didn't usually interfere with them, except to make sure they were charging any political enemies a literal arm and a leg for advertising, while giving him a cost price deal.

"I'll see to it."

"And organise another public speech."

"Sir?"

"After what happened, I can't be seen to be cowed."

Hesho nodded. He didn't bother to try to argue. It wasn't his job to argue. That was securities job. He just made the arrangements.

"Is that everything?" Imoku asked.

"Yes, Sir," Hesho acknowledged. Imoku nodded and Hesho took that as his dismissal.

He sighed when he left the office. Imoku was really taking this hard. He hoped his boss recovered soon.

-afop-

 _Did we do anything?_

Sir Nighteye looked at the message from Mirio. He was actually proud of his protege for asking the question. It was a good question to ask. And the answer, was for once, one that Mirio would accept.

 _No._ He messaged back. Their little alliance with Aizawa wasn't going to be as stupid as to attempt to assassinate Imoku Karkurete. That was likely to cement his policies. And if they were going to do it, they would have sent someone a lot more skilled than Yū Takeyama. The woman was unstable. She was completely unsuitable for any action.

Now.

In the past, when she was Mount Lady, before the League killed Kamui Woods, he would have considered her for some actions. Her arrogance and vanity were bad, but he could have worked with that. Now… No, she was too unstable.

Even so, he was proud that Mirio had at least considered the possibility. It showed that the boy was growing, that he wasn't as naive as he had been. None of them could afford to be naive anymore.

 _You are sure?_

There was accusation in the message. They had promised to tell Mirio everything. That was his price to run for Government.

 _I am sure,_ he sent back. _You know me better than that. I wouldn't approve a plan that shoddy,_ he added.

 _True_. The response was close to immediate. Sir Nighteye nodded. At least Mirio realised that. But he also realised that they would get some benefit from Imoku's demise. He had thought about it but they wouldn't get enough benefit. _Should I go to the funeral?_

That message was surprising. He wasn't aware that Mirio had been invited. He was aware that Imoku Kakurete was going to be there. Since the woman, Inko Midoriya had essentially died for him, using her quirk to attract the gun, and inadvertently the bullet to her, the politician was going. And he had made it very clear that he would fund the prosecution of the woman to the full extent of the law, just as soon as the psychologists declared her fit to stand trial.

It was a subtle reminder of his power. Yū Takeyama had problems, but somehow the politician seemed sure she would be deemed in a right state of mind to stand trial, not to be committed to some institution for treatment. Imoku was probably going to do something to ensure it.

Usually Sir Nighteye would be happy with that. It would be an opportunity to catch the man in corruption but in this case it was hard. While the the Hero Public Safety Bureau no longer existed since there were no Heroes, their workers had been redistributed into other branches of government. Most of the government workers had just switched office jobs but the psychologists had been divided. Some went into the police, as counsellors to cope with the influx of Heroes who took positions there. Others had gone into the Justice department to assess criminals.

All Sir Nighteye knew was that Imoku already owned at least some of those people. He wouldn't be making any calls. The corrupt psychologists would already know what to do from his statement. Or someone else would be making the call for him. There were a lot of options, but none that tied back to Imoku directly.

 _Who did the invitation come from?_ Sir Nighteye asked. Since Mirio didn't know Inko directly, it would not be insulting if he did not go but it would depend on who issued the invitation.

 _Imoku._

Ah… that decided it. _Yes, you have to go_. If Imoku had invited Mirio then … there were a number of possible reasons for the invitation. He could be trying to scare Mirio into giving up his candidacy for Parliament by highlighting the dangers. That was unlikely. Imoku had to know Mirio had been a hero and wouldn't be scared off that easily. It was more likely that Imoku was trying to ensure Inko was known.

It would look good in the press.

And with the press the attempted assassination had given him, Hizashi's segment had been lost. Sir Nighteye wasn't even sure if Imoku knew about it, but even if he did, no one would be mentioning him now in that segment. It would be too politically insensitive. He sighed…

The timing was too convenient.

Sir Nighteye pulled up an image of Yū Takeyama on his phone. He examined the worman. He already knew everything there was to know about her. It was rumoured that she had been Kamui Woods' lover but he wasn't sure about that. It seemed to be true, given her collapse after his death but attacking Imoku was not going to bring him back. Why had she attacked now? Why not earlier?

He understood what she was trying to do, though… how did she know that Imoku was the most likely candidate to be the Leader of the League of Villains? Who had told her? If it was Bakugou…

No. Sir Nighteye shook his head. The vigilante ExplodoKill was tempestuous but he was not stupid. He would have gone for the assassination personally before he tried to get someone else to do it. So who had made the link? Or had she just gotten lucky?

Or… Imoku was the instigator of the bills that had seen the fall of Heroes, so maybe that was enough for him to be targeted? That made more logical sense. If he couldn't find the link, he doubted she would have been able to.

There were too many questions. Imoku Kakurete seemed to excel at creating questions.

One day, he would have the answers.

-afop-

Katsuki kept his eyes fixed forward. It was the only way he was going to get through this. He ignored the red welt on his cheek from where his mother had slapped him. The argument still echoed in his head. She didn't understand and he couldn't explain it.

" _What do you mean Representative Kakurete is going to be there?" He'd screamed._

 _Mitsuki had looked at him oddly. "It's an honour, you idiot!"_

" _Old hag, tell me what you mean! That bastard can't be there!"_

" _Are you a moron?" She'd screamed back. "It's an honour that a man of his stature wants to be there."_

" _It's a photo opportunity!" He'd argued._

It wasn't really. Bakugou knew exactly why Imoku Kakurete wanted to be here. If there was anything left of Izuku he'd want to mourn his mother. Except he didn't deserve to, after the pain he'd put her through! And then the lies.

Imoku kept giving Inko hope that one day Izuku would return, when the bastard knew it was never going to happen. Why did everything with that bastard Deku have to be so complicated? It was just another reason Bakugou wanted to blast his smug face off.

 _Mitsuki had sighed at his statement. She had trembled, and he could see that she was trying not to cry. "I know you don't like the man, brat," she'd said. "But you will not say anything."_

" _I'm not going! Not if that bastard is."_

 _His head had rocked to the side. Mitsuki had slapped him. His father just watched on. He could take hits from villains without flinching. They had nothing on his mother._

" _You are going," Mitsuki had said. "And you are going to be polite, brat. Kakurete did a lot for Inko after Izuku."_

 _Bakugou could see the way his mother's lips trembled. The way she was biting them to hold back the tears. Izuku going missing had forever hurt Inko. It had hurt Mitsuki as well. It had hurt them all. And the bastard didn't care. He could have come back. Even as the older man, he could have come back. He didn't._

 _He'd chosen this. He'd chosen the League over them._

Katsuki had no mercy for Deku.

Not when he had caused so much pain.

They'd bundled into the car and now he was here. Standing with the mourners, looking straight ahead.

Imoku Kakurete was there. He was near the front. His suit was black. It was ostentatious. Black suit. Black shirt. Black tie. The only points of colour on him were his green eyes and hair and the dark green cufflinks he was using. He was pale, and accompanied by bodyguards and had taken the position of chief mourner. Hisashi hadn't even fought. The bastard.

The man was back for his wife's funeral but Katsuki had already heard that the man was selling all assets. He wasn't even going to remain in Japan. He wasn't surprised and it didn't change anything.

Instead he just stood with his family, deliberately not looking at that shitty Deku as the man went through the motions of mourning. It looked genuine. Katsuki could admit that the motions probably were but that wasn't an excuse. At least Imoku wouldn't get the chance to visit the Midoriya family grave. Hisashi would take Inko's ashes there. That much the politician couldn't change.

Before he knew it the ceremony was over. Bakugou was grateful for the chance to leave. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep quiet at the tears Imoku kept wiping from his eyes. The man was the cause of so much grief for Inko and now her death. Deku could never answer for that. But before he could storm his way to the car, his mother grabbed him and Bakugou's eyes widened when he realised she was dragging him towards the politician's entourage.

"No!" He pulled back. He could pull out of the grip of villains, yet his mother held firm.

"You are doing this, brat!"

"Old Hag! No." He insisted. She didn't stop.

Their argument brought attention and Katsuki felt green eyes upon him. He froze. There was a certain quality to Imoku's gaze that felt heavy. He glared back, daring shitty Deku to say anything. He knew who Imoku was. Imoku knew that he knew. His dare was returned, in the smug smile that shitty Deku gave him. There was a challenge in the politician's face, daring him to make a scene, daring him to step out of line.

Katsuki wasn't going to play shitty Deku's game but he was going to ask some hard questions. He stepped towards the man but before he got close, someone else stepped up. Bakugou recognised him. Mirio. The candidate wore a nice suit and for a moment that shitty Deku looked confused, before his expression shifted into one of subdued curiosity.

"I'm sorry," Mirio said, bowing deeply.

Imoku frowned. This time, Katsuki sort of understood Deku's confusion. What was Mirio doing?

"On behalf of all former Heroes, I am sorry for Yū Takeyama's actions."

Katsuki froze. He wanted to scream. That was exactly the wrong thing to do! You didn't apologise to enemies! Even if they had something to do with it and so Yū Takeyama's actions were their own, you never apologised! That shitty Deku didn't deserve it! Inko did but never Deku.

Bakugou was forced to watch as Deku leaned over to Mirio, reaching out his hands, and pushing the former hero upright. His expression was one of sympathy but Katsuki could see the way his eyes were hard. "You are not Yū Takeyama," Imoku said, loud enough to be heard. "You do not need to apologise for her actions," he added.

Mirio bowed his head, accepting the words. He didn't see the risk, not in the way Katsuki did. He didn't see the veiled look Imoku gave him, the one that promised pain. He had to do something.

"Representative!" Bakugou called.

Imoku's eyes locked on to his. So did Mirio's.

"Young man?"

So that was the way fucking Deku was going to play it. As if they'd never met. Katsuki grinned. Oh, Deku was going to regret that.

"Fucking Deku! You got your mother killed! And you don't even have the guts to come forward!" He spat.

Bakugou saw the pain flashover Imoku's face before shitty Deku got himself back under control. "I think you are very much mistaken, young man. Inko Midoriya was not my mother," he said. The rest of the mourners looked confused.

"Shitty brat!" Katsuki recognised his mother's voice. He made tiny explosions on his palms to keep her away.

"You're pathetic Deku! Always have been!"

Mirio stepped up to him. Bakugou slid away, towards the Representative. He wasn't going to be shut down here.

"Young man, you are distraught with grief," Imoku said coldly. The implication obvious. But Katsuki didn't obey Deku. The bystanders nodded their agreement with the Representative.

"Coward! How could you hurt Aunty Inko that much?" He screamed.

Mirio lunged at him, strong arms wrapping around him and one hand clamping over Bakugou's mouth. He tried to bite but Mirio held firm. "Stop it!" he hissed into Katsuki's ear. He wasn't going to listen.

Shitty Deku was there! Mourning for Inko as if she was just another follower. He should be on his knees crying. He should be begging forgiveness from all his ancestors, from the world… from Inko. He shouldn't be here, standing there in a neat suit, looking sad, when this was all his fault.

"He's distraught," Katsuki heard Mirio say, repeating Imoku's words.

He tried to shout around Mirio's hand. He tried to struggle, setting off explosions. It was worse that struggling against concrete. He could blow up concrete. Mirio just stood there, taking it all in.

"I'll take him away," Mirio added.

"That would be for the best," Imoku said.

Somehow Mirio managed to bow, and with Katsuki still kicking, and hitting and attempting to bite and scream he made his way away. Bakugou watched Imoku the entire time. Fucking Deku's eyes were on him and just as his view was cut off by his mother, who was storming behind Mirio, glaring at him, he caught the expression on Imoku's face.

It was smug. There was triumph there.

He screamed into Mirio's hand. _You won't win!_ Somehow fucking Deku seemed to know what he said because he saw the Representative shake his head, green eyes boring into red. The message was clear.

Fucking Deku thought he'd already won.

Katsuki would show him otherwise.

 **-afop-**


	26. Part 2: Chapter 8

**Part 2: Chapter 8**

Chosa looked over at his boss. The editor was pale. It wasn't a state he'd seen her in before. She edited one of the biggest magazines in the country. It was one of the few hero magazines that had successfully made the transition to a new normal. As a result, he'd seen her take calls from lawyers threatening legal action, from the police demanding to know who their source was, from the government doing the exact same thing. Chosa had seen her break scandals, romances, births, deaths and marriages.

He'd seen her face down everyone without breaking a sweat. Now she looked pale, like death.

"Who the fuck was that?" Chosa asked when she put down the phone. He noted the way she did it. Gently. Like if she was harsh the person she'd been speaking to would know.

Chosa watched as Hensha swallowed. She looked up at him. "That was Imoku Kakurete."

Chosa frowned. He knew that name. "Representative Kakurete?"

"That's him," Hensha agreed.

"And?" he prompted. The man was without doubt the most powerful independent in the House of Representatives. He was up for reelection this year but from the numbers Chosa thought he was a shoe in. His constituents loved him. What he didn't understand is why Hensha looked like she'd seen a ghost.

She huffed. "This is why you aren't going to get anywhere," she muttered. "Kakurete owns Phoenix Wave," she told him.

"Oh," Chosa murmured. "Oh!" He understood.

Phoenix Wave was their parent company. It was their management which meant that Hero Weekly had transformed into News Weekly and that was mostly due to the policies of Kakurete. Policies which were very unpopular at the time but had been born out as successful. Even if he was the one to get the rules changed to make them successful.

"So what does he want?" Chosa asked. Kakurete hadn't put Hensha in that state just because he called.

"He wants us to do an exposé on Candidate Mirio Toogata."

"Exposé?" Chosa asked carefully, putting particular emphasis on the syllables.

"Exposé," Hensha confirmed.

"What does he want us to find?" Chosa wasn't an idiot. When a man like Kakurete told them to do an exposé, he was expecting a particular outcome. Though it was odd. He had no idea why Kakurete might want that. Toogata wasn't running against him after all. Chosa put that thought from his mind. It was above his pay grade.

"He didn't say, but he did suggest we have a close look at his years in UA." Hensha took a deep breath.

Chosa nodded. UA used to be a popular topic. "I'll go pull out the archives," he said. That was the best place to start. They might have something there already. And if they didn't… well, it wasn't that hard to find interesting information. It was all about how you framed it, and if the boss was saying frame it one way, he wasn't going to question that.

-afop-

Imoku looked over at the vid call.

"Are you sure about that?" Yatou Rida, the current opposition leader, asked him earnestly.

"I'm sure," he replied softly, focusing his words carefully.

The man sighed. "I just can't help but think that if Heroes were still around then-"

Imoku helped up one hand. He let his expression shift to one of faint disappointment. "Nothing would have changed," he told Yatou.

"You don't know that," the man objected. "And I'll soon be in a position to ensure things can change."

That response made Imoku smile. "True, but I assure you, nothing would have changed at my rally. Mrs Midoriya would still-" He couldn't say it.

"Maybe a hero could have done something," the opposition leader insisted.

Imoku felt a stab of annoyance at the man. Nothing displayed on his expression but for emphasis he shook his head. He extended himself a little with the gesture. Yatou did trust him, after all. "Against another hero?" he asked the question sharply. His best work was done with changing cadences and tone. People responded to that almost without knowing that they were.

The opposition leader winced.

Imoku cocked his head. "Everyone is overlooking that. She was a hero, but obviously not a true hero. If she was, then… well, she'd have never been in that position. There are still evils in this world, I know," he said reasonably. "But giving people the title of hero just makes them come out more, or just covers up the face of evil," he added, letting the opposition leader stew on that thought for a while.

There wasn't much that could be said against that, not with the history that had been dug up just before the vote to reintegrate heroes into society, to take them down from their pedestal. Endeavor was the prime example but other, lesser examples had been found, and now the former Pro-Hero Mount Lady had simply proved the point again. Even Tomura had proven the point, with his story. Tomura would be happy that his history had been one of the final nails in the hero's coffin.

"Inko wouldn't want things to change because of her death," Imoku continued.

"So you think it's better to deal with them quietly?" Yatou asked.

"Yes," Imoku nodded. "And you know the numbers support me. In the last few years, quirk related destruction during arrests has been down. For once insurance premiums actually came down as well! It was only going up with heroes making arrests. Reintegrating heroes into society, has saved both money and lives."

The stats were very clearly with him. Insurance, especially along transportation routes and in the cities had gone down because there were no longer heroes wantonly destroying them as they tried to apprehend someone who simply needed some compassion. Crime rates were down, and deaths caused by hero versus villain fights were down to zero, mostly because there were no heroes. The equivalent these days was police versus criminals, and they didn't attract anywhere near the amount of attention, they were planned better and the rates of accidental death were down. So it was still a win there with the numbers.

More importantly, confidence in the system was up. In that aspect of governance the public believed the government had gotten it right. They had gotten it wrong in too many other aspects though which was why Yatou would be the next Prime Minister. Barring any huge scandal, and Imoku didn't know anything worthy of that. He'd checked. Besides, it was time for a change.

Still, there had only been benefits from reintegrating heroes.

"Yes, but there are still villains out there," Yatou objected.

"Like?" Imoku asked, knowing full well what the answer was going to be.

"The League," the opposition leader told him.

Imoku smiled. "The League actually prove my point. Did you ever study their dogma?" he asked.

"No."

"It was to destroy heroes," Imoku told Yatou. "But I think it was more that they wanted the attention, and to get that attention, they flashily attacked. That's what they really wanted. Now, I'm not saying that they are good people, and I'm not condoning what they did but since heroes have been gone, the League has been gone too." It was the naive view of the League, but sometimes it was best to explain things that way. Complications just made more complications.

"They still exist," Yatou said defensively.

"They still exist," Imoku agreed. The Police knew it, and the Opposition Leader was most likely soon to become the Prime Minister. He would have been included in some security briefings which probably included the little stunt at BioSimip. "And they are still breaking the law but they are no longer attacking schools, and where they do attack there is a clear focus.

"The police are now free to pursue them without the public getting hurt, and isn't that what society is about? Not some licensed, costumed individual taking the law into their own hands."

Yatou took a deep breath. Imoku could practically tell what the politician was thinking. They had been friends for years, after all. He was thinking about the League Member the Police had caught, who had then been killed, by the League. It was undeniably true that while the League member was dead, no one else was. That was a change from the past. Pragmatically, it was the better situation.

"Heroes are an easy answer. They are a flashy answer, but they are not the right solution for the long term. Living with quirks is the right answer, not holding up some quirks to be more equal than others."

The opposition leader caught the reference. His lips twitched. "I just…" he sighed. "I just don't like to see you in pain," he said. "And it's obvious to everyone how much you miss Mrs Midoriya."

There was no inappropriate suggestion there. Imoku nodded. "She was a great woman. Stronger that most will ever be." The story of what she had gone through had been public news. Yatou knew now. "But she was killed by a former hero, so reinstating heroes is not the answer. I don't think there is an answer for that." He added.

There was no answer Yatou could give him. Toga however, was a different matter but not now. Not yet. In time. Then Yū Takeyama would suffer the consequences.

"If you are sure…" the opposition leader said softly.

"I am sure," Imoku replied firmly, pushing his power towards the man. He was sure, and he didn't need the soon to be government interfering.

"All right," Yatou relented. "People wouldn't like it if their insurance premiums rose again."

"The government budget wouldn't like it either," Imoku pointed out with a smile, knowing he'd won.

Yatou groaned theatrically. "And that's something I'm gonna have to think about. Sure you don't want to be my treasurer?"

"Positive. Independence suits me." He hadn't joined the government. He wasn't about the join a different party and he'd finally managed to quieten down those rumours that he should start his own party. He did not need others.

"Well, the door is always open."

"Even after the election?" Imoku questioned slyly.

"Especially after," Yatou told him.

Imoku smiled. He always knew he'd be in this position. He just never expected the sacrifices. But this was for the good of all and that sometimes required pain. He'd gone too far now to turn back, so he would endure.

After her sacrifice, he owed it to her memory.

-afop-

Jouho looked up at his boss. "You look troubled, Sir?"

"I am."

"The meeting?" The boss had been called to a meeting today. One of those meetings that management had to go to, because higher management said they had to. Jouho was thankful he wasn't that far up the totem pole.

"The meeting," came the confirmation.

All Jouho knew about the meeting was that it had been on and that it was with the highest levels of management. You didn't need higher levels of management telling you to go to it when it involved meeting with the owner.

His boss, Utsuna gave him a look. "You know who owns Phoenix Wave?" he asked.

Jouho nodded. Phoenix Wave was owned by Kunshu. Kunshu had bought a controlling interest in the company about 15 years back. They had been known as Wave then. The media group focused on delivering hero news. Some parts, like Hero Weekly magazine focused on the trashy, while they had been Wave's Hero news feed. And they were good at it. They provided high quality but more importantly, accurate news about heroes. A sub feed, one they sponsored but didn't guarantee had been the best place to find information on live hero versus villain fights.

When Heroes had been reintegrated into society, the group had changed their name to Phoenix Wave. It had been an instruction from Kunshu, supposedly from the top, and was meant to symbolise the fact that the Wave group would rise like the Phoenix from their adversity.

And they had.

Hero Weekly had become News Weekly, though it was still trashy. And their news feed had changed to regular information, which they actually had spent a fair bit of time reporting on anyway. Now they included things like a traffic report, which was feed by their users. They also carried warnings when any wanna be villain made an appearance. The police usually swarmed them so it was never a big deal.

"So a representative from Kunshu was there?" Jouho asked.

Utsuna shook his head. "Not a representative."

That meant the owner. Imoku Kakurete himself. "Shit."

"Shit." Utsuna repeated.

Jouho took a deep breath. It appeared Utsuna wanted to. "What did he want?" It had to be something Kakurete wanted that was making Utsuna troubled.

"He wants us to report on Mirio Toogata," Utsuna replied.

It took Jouho a moment to remember who Toogata was. Mirio Toogata. Candidate for the House of Representatives. He was young. Younger than anyone else running and be represented a lot of heroes. It hadn't been explicitly stated but pretty much the entire hero community was behind him. He would probably want to reinstate them.

Jouho wasn't sure how that would go. He wasn't sure the Government would allow it but if the opposition won, maybe there was a chance. And Kakurete had been the one to propose the original reintegration bill, or what had become the bill. It had been the then Deputy Prime Minister Kiyoshi Takenaka who had initiated the vote that had actually lead to the reintegration of heroes. "Well, Toogata is news," Jouho said diplomatically.

"He wants us to report negatively on Toogata," Utsuna clarified.

"Toogata or the opposition?"

"Toogata."

"Oh," Jouho murmured. "Did he give a reason?"

"There is no reason!" Utsuna raged. "He's never done this in the past. We've built our reputation on being a factual, and bipartisan feed. If we suddenly start skewing our feed people will notice. They will leave us."

"You told him that?"

"Of course I did," Utsuna said. "His reply was, and I quote, "Not if what you report is the truth"."

That was technically true but it sounded very much like a convenient excuse. "So why does he want this now? As you said, he's never attempted to influence us in the past."

Utsuna started pacing. "I am frustrated by the very fact that he is asking. Even if we find something damaging about Toogata, the fact that Kakurete has asked us to report it changes everything. Up until now, I've been able to look people in the eye and honestly tell them that Kakurete has _never_ influenced our publishing policies. Now I can't."

"You don't like the implication of corruption," Jouho summarised. He was used to this. He had been Utsuna's sounding board for a long time. Most people thought Editors and publishers sat above the mere journalists but Jouho recognised it was a partnership. If Utsuna had been less scrupulous, Jouho just would have written and article and either found it rejected, or altered to fit the new instructions.

"No, I don't. And I don't like the control. I get that he's the owner, and that we've been lucky that he doesn't interfere."

"Yeah, we're not-"

Utsuna gave him a look before he completed the sentence. "Indeed. He hasn't interfered and it is frustrating me that he wants to now."

Jouho nodded, before he half closed his eyes. "How about we look at this a different way?" He questioned. "Instead of focusing on Kakurete telling us what to do, let's look at what you'd do if Sonoho walked in right now with a damaging story about Toogata? I mean something really bad, something that would completely invalidate him as a candidate? What would you do?"

"Before or after checking her facts?"

He nodded. He'd allow that. Sonoho was sometimes a little bit loose with her interpretation of fact. "After," Jouho clarified. "And they are all true," he added.

"I'd publish!" Utsuna declared.

"Then let's focus on that," the reporter suggested. "We aren't just gonna make up crap about Toogata, and Kakurete knows that. So let's see what we can find. Maybe he told you to do it because there is something?"

Utsuna didn't look convinced but there wasn't much else he could do. "See what you can dig up. Focus on Toogata's relationship with All Might and Sir Nighteye."

Jouho gave him a look. Even if he found out that Toogata was bonking either of them, it wasn't going to be much of a story. At least, not against Toogata. It wouldn't look good for All Might or Sir Nighteye.

"Not that," Utsuna snorted.

"Mind out of the gutter, right," Jouho gave him a smile. "Though… this has got to have something to do with that assassination attempt," he muttered.

Utsuna looked at him sharply and Jouho could see his editor's mind working. He grimaced.

"What is it?"

"It's barely possible that Toogata knows the accused."

Jouho pulled up the file on his tablet. "Yū Takeyama, former Pro Hero Mount Lady," he read. "That's not surprising, given Toogata's history," he said, unconvinced that there was any story there. "If I'm going to pursue something that obvious, I might as well pursue the rumour that Kakurete was about to propose to Inko Midoriya."

That rumour had come up a few years back on one of the news feeds they didn't even consider a competitor. It was a trash feed. Only the most outrageous, or scandalous things made it into that feed. Or had. Some idiot had asked Kakurete. The man had looked physically sick at the suggestion, before he looked absolutely livid.

And then he'd sued them. They'd actually put up a pretty good defence, and it was rumoured that several of Kakurete's political enemies had put up the funds for it. Their defence had admitted that they had reported the rumours, but that they had reported them because that's what their feed was. It was one that didn't focus on news, but focused on rumours. Pretty good really to try to use what they were to defend their actions.

It hadn't been enough. He'd crushed them. But never for himself. Not once in the whole proceedings did Kakurete say he was offended. He actually admitted that as a public figure, this sort of rumour and innuendo was to be expected. He sued them on behalf of Inko Midoriya.

And now she was dead, having used her quirk to pull the bullet and gun meant for him to her. The rumour mill was going to be going insane again. Though it wouldn't be in public but that didn't stop people talking.

"Don't you dare!" Utsuna snapped. "Toogata probably does know Yū Takeyama, but see if there's more of a connection."

"He wouldn't have-" Jouho didn't finish the sentence.

His editor understood his meaning. "No, I don't think so, but the others I'm not so sure about." His eyes were on the picture of Sir Nighteye on his tablet.

Jouho nodded. He didn't say anything. There had been a lot of emotion involved with dismantling the Hero system. Some Heroes had turned villainous at it. And some, he supposed could have been biding their time. They were, after all, only human. And all humans had baggage.

-afop-

"Well, we've got problems."

Mirio looked sorry.

Katsuki snorted. "Who cares? It gives us a reason to go after that fucking Deku directly."

"And get arrested directly," Sir Nighteye countered.

The former pro-hero and the vigilante glared at each other. There was no friendship there.

Aizawa rubbed at his eyes. This is why he didn't like meeting like this. There were always clashes. They shared a similar goal but definitely did not share the same idea of how to achieve that goal.

Bakugou would probably be only too happy to confront Imoku Kakurete directly. The vigilante was usually very realistic about his chances but with Kakurete involved, all semblance of reason disappeared. Shouta now understood why Katsuki had come to seek his opinion about revealing that Imoku Kakurete was really Izuku Midoriya. He still wasn't quite convinced of that, given Imoku's reaction to Inko's death. The man had been logical with his reaction to her being shot. If Inko was really his mother, he had expected a more emotional reaction. The man had never cried and while his gesture of leaving the muffin was odd, it was not… He just wasn't convinced, even if Bakugou was certain.

It didn't matter. He'd told Bakugou that. They had to bring down Imoku Kakurete, not Izuku Midoriya.

But right at the moment, Kakurete was definitely winning.

"Can we do anything to counter the press Mirio is receiving?" Sir Nighteye asked, looking at Hizashi.

"I'm trying," he practically whispered back, "but I told you last time, I'm not a political station!"

"Yet you know people," Katsuki accused.

"And I'm trying to talk to them! But no one wants to say anything against Kakurete at the moment." The radio presenter didn't need to say why. With the assassination attempt, the general feeling at the moment was one of sympathy towards Kakurete.

"If the shooter were anyone else, I would have said Kakurete planned it."

Bakugou slammed one hand down. Explosions set off. "Deku is a bastard, but he wouldn't have done that when Inko was there." He glared at Sir Nighteye.

The older hero looked at him with flat eyes. "I wasn't suggesting he did it. Yū Takeyama did it and the current theory is obvious. While it was the Government who voted to reintegrate Heroes, it was Kakurete who began the thought process."

"Or how about we go with the more obvious theory," Bakugou spat, "that the bitch worked out that Kakurete is the Head of the League."

Sir Nighteye lent forward, ignoring the explosions Katsuki was still making. "If we cannot find the link, I doubt she could."

Bakugou huffed. "More like she decided it was time to do something!"

"There is no obvious link, Bakugou," Aizawa sighed. "Yū Takeyama was close to Kamui Woods, and was probably acting due to his murder. Except, why did she act now?" It had been years since Kamui Wood's died.

"I think she's been in care," Midnight said softly.

"Care?"

"Mental health care," the former pro-hero snapped. "I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure it has to be something like that, or she'd have attacked earlier."

The group nodded. That was true. Though the explanation did not stop the vigilante from staring at Aizawa as if he'd somehow betrayed him.

"There is a link between Kakurete and the League, but he is very good at keeping it hidden. I doubt Yū Takeyama would have been able to find it, especially if she has been in care."

"The old guys side together," Katsuki muttered.

Aizawa stared back. He'd gotten used to Bakugou's glares. "I taught Yū Takeyama, I have a fair understanding of her abilities."

"So why did the bitch do it? Couldn't she have fucking seen what would happen?" The tablecloth smoldered under Bakugou's hand as he asked.

"She was pissed off that even though the Police know exactly who killed Kamui Woods," Nemuri said quietly, "nobody is hunting Dabi."

That might even be true. The League's acting Leader was on very public record has killing the Pro Hero but he also wasn't stupid. The underground of illegal activities was fully functional and almost completely separate from the law abiding citizens. Dabi lived near the top of the pile, which meant he didn't need to show up very often. And he didn't. Usually he'd disappeared by the time the Police could respond. There were bad areas that they just didn't like to report to.

Politicians denied those areas existed. They took great pains to make sure they went to them - in daylight. And, while no one could prove it, Aizawa was sure the villains made great pains to ensure nothing happened to the politicians. There was always some rogue who would try something. They didn't need that. They needed the illusion of normality and they were smart enough to enforce it.

None of that had to do with Imoku Kakurete.

"You knew she was going to do it?" Aizawa asked quietly.

Nemuri shook her head. "No," she replied urgently before someone could berate her for not stopping the other former pro-hero. "But if I had to give a reason, I would say that's the one that tipped her over."

"Fucking bitch," Bakugou growled, though it was unclear who he was referring to.

"Can we capitalise on what she said?" Sir Nighteye asked.

Hizashi shook his head. "I told you, no one wants to say a thing against Kakurete at the moment."

"How long will that be for?"

The radio presenter just looked at Sir Nighteye. The statement didn't need to be said. There was no way to know how long it would be, but they could be sure that Kakurete would milk the situation for as long as he could.

"It's tragic, yes, but she wasa bystander," All Might's former sidekick said.

"Actually, she was on his campaign team," Hizashi told them. "And there is a lot of sympathy for her given the challenges she faced, therefore there is sympathy for Kakurete."

Sir Nighteye huffed.

"We have to prove the relationship between Imoku and the League," Aizawa interrupted before they went around in a circle again.

"We are sure there is one?" Midnight asked.

"Positive," Bakugou growled. "Fucking Deku is their god damned hidden boss."

"I suspect he has been well trained. We believed that Tomura was the All For One's chosen successor, but if it is this Imoku Kakurete, then he will not be leaving obvious clues," All Might spoke. The man had been listening up until then and Aizawa was slightly surprised to hear the serious side of the man. It was nicer than the jovial nature he used to project.

"Then we go after the non-obvious clues," Sir Nighteye indicated.

Bakugou gave him a look before shaking his head. He remained silent, though to Aizawa's eyes, there did seem to be a smug air to his stance.

"The League's supplier?" Yagi asked.

"Is about as slippery as the League," Katsuki supplied.

That was reasonable. The man dealt in the underworld and while to be a supplier, he had to be contactable, he was not stupid. The gathered group knew the man, Giran, had been supplying the League for at least the last decade. To survive that long in the underworld, he had to be careful.

"I tried to find him, to get to Dabi, but I'm having to go another way now." Bakugou growled.

"Another way?" Yagi asked.

Katsuki grinned, holding up one hand which he balled into a fist. "A more direct way," he said.

"Fighting," Aizawa murmured the explanation.

"You are in the fighting rounds?" Mirio asked.

"It's not like they know how to fight," the vigilante dismissed the question.

"Which one are you in?" Mirio pressed.

"Osaka. Too much risk in Tokyo."

"So how does that get you to Dabi?" The Candidate seemed confused.

Bakugou glared. "Dabi runs all the underground fighting rings," he snapped impatiently. "You win enough in any of them, you get promoted to Tokyo and the chance to take on the champion. I don't give a flying fuck about that, but when I win Osaka, I get an invite to see Dabi."

Mirio nodded for the table. It made rather sickening sense. "You're sure they won't recognise you anyway?" He asked.

"Haven't yet," Bakugou shrugged. They knew what his response would be. He'd just fight his way out. At least that's what he'd try. The table knew better than to try to convince the vigilante out of his plan, and truthfully, if what he said was true, that'd he'd get an invitation to see Dabi if he won the Osaka bouts, it was the quickest, most direct way to the Acting Leader of the League.

"Tell us where the meeting is," Sir Nighteye murmured before he looked around. "I've been looking into Kakurete's companies. His employees have a very high sense of loyalty."

"Of course they do," Katsuku snorted. "They are quirkless losers."

The sentiment wasn't one that was shared at the table, given that two of them were quirkless but it was one that was in the community. It wasn't everyone but it was a large enough view that persecution was rife. Imoku Kakurete's policy of only hiring quirkless had done him no favours in some areas, but in others, it had gained him loyal supporters. Fifty percent of those in his electorate indicated they would vote for him. Outside of his electorate, most quirkless people would vote for whichever candidate Kakurete endorsed.

"Well, they aren't talking, which means I can't find out much about Kakurete's finances."

"What about the tax department?" Mirio asked quietly.

"They won't investigate without a reasonable suspicion," Yagi explained before Bakugou could say something. "And according to them, Kunshu and all subsidiaries are above board, and paid up on their taxes. They have to be, to hold government contracts," he added.

"There's no conflict of interest there?"

Toshinori sighed as he shook his head. "Kunshu is never directly involved, and Kunshu is the company Kakurete owns. Those holding the contracts are usually three to four companies removed from him."

"That's still conflict of interest!" Bakugou hissed.

"Not when each company reports their results independently," Sir Nighteye said. He'd looked into this as well. "According to the government, that makes them independent, and Kunshu is simply a the majority shareholder. And Kakurete has listed every share he owns on the register. He's declared his interests and he remained out of the selection committee when it comes to BioSimip's QERI contract."

"It could still be reported."

"There is no scandal there," Hizashi said tiredly. He really didn't want his program to become political but he could see that he might have to insert some things into it. His Producer would want reasons and it would bring Kakurete's attention. The former Pro Hero wasn't afraid of a fight but the Representative didn't fight in the same way they did. He was used to the war of words and reputation. They were used to more physical confrontations. They had to find some leverage, and obvious things like conflict of interest was something newbie reporters were put on and Imoku had done everything by the book.

"Following the money is the first rule of tracking down crime," Sir Nighteye said. "I have followed the money. It is all accounted for."

"It's fucking not," Katsuki growled, letting small explosions hit the table top again.

"We know it's not," Yagi said, placatingly. "But the books are in order. At least the public ones are, and we aren't going to get access to the real ones," he added.

"That leaves us trying to find other clues," Midnight said.

Bakugou shook his head. It was obvious he was rethinking working with them. "If I could get Giran, I could get one of the League."

"And we saw how well that went," Sir Nighteye said.

Katsuki roared at the dig. "At least I did something!" He yelled.

"At least you killed someone," the former Pro Hero corrected the statement.

Bakugou snorted. "If the Police had done their fucking job," he growled.

They all knew what had happened. Ujiko had been killed by a disguised Toga while in a holding cell after having been brought in by Kirishima, who pretended to have captured the League member.

"Should we bring in someone from the Police?" Sir Nighteye ignored Bakugou with his question.

"Who?" Aizawa asked. He had several candidates but he was curious to know who the others thought might be practical.

"Endeavor's son is a capable young man," Mirio said. "And would has a reason to join us."

"Half 'n Half?" Bakugou snorted. "You want to ruin his career like yours?"

Mirio said nothing at that but he was offended.

"Bringing him in would provide legitimacy."

Katsuki shook his head. "Without proof, legitimacy doesn't matter."

That was true. At the moment there was no real reason to bring in one of the Heroes who had gone into the Police force. All they would be doing was risking their career. It would be too easy for Kakurete to get a look in here. It didn't matter how discreet they were and they had taken pains to be discreet. Bakugou hadn't even come in the front door. He'd come through the roof so that no one had seen him enter this room. But it was a risk they couldn't take.

"Then where are we getting the leads?" Mirio asked. He might accept there was no need to bring in someone else yet, but they had to be getting somewhere. "You said yourself, Giran is as slippery as any member of the League. We've seen what happens when we-"

"We?" Bakugou growled. He was responsible for the capture of Ujiko.

"When we," Mirio repeated, "get a member of the League into custody. None of his business associates are willing to speak, so who else is there, who might be willing to reveal the truth?"

"What about the League's associates?" Sir Nighteye mused.

"Giran?" Hizashi asked. They'd just mentioned Giran.

"Not Giran. The others. Those who made those abominations?"

"They are dead," Katsuki announced. He glared at Sir Nighteye. "I've been after this fucker for years. Deku is useless, not stupid."

"Then what about other more personal relationships?" Mirio asked.

"Such as?" Midnight asked.

"Girlfriend?"

"Doesn't have one," Bakugou answered.

"Family?" Mirio suggested.

"No siblings, and only his Mother is still alive," Aizawa replied. "But she is hard to get a hold of."

"What do you mean?" Katsuki was curious.

"Exactly what I said. She's hard to get a hold of. She's very rarely in her apartment." The detective could see the cogs turning in Bakugou's mind. He could see that they had already turned in Sir Nighteye's. "I haven't approached the woman," he added. "It could be construed as harassment," he explained, giving Katsuki a sharp look.

The vigilante snorted. Little things like that still didn't bother him. Aizawa wondered what it would take to make Bakugou take it seriously.

"Was there anything else?" Sir Nighteye asked pointedly.

"I doubt we'll get anything out of his mother. Nothing linking the League to Kakurete at least," he explained.

Yagi nodded. "Then what about someone else in the underworld?" He suggested. "Not one of the League, but someone else in the underworld."

"They don't know anything," Bakugou grumbled. "I've beaten the shit out of enough of them to know that. Some know that the League supposedly has another leader but as far as they are concerned, Dabi is the League's boss."

Aizawa looked at Yagi, his eyes narrowing as he remembered something. "How did you track down All For One in the past?" He asked. After Heroes had reintegrated, and after Kamino more information about that particular villain had come into the light. He has been the boogie man of the underworld. A rumour, a shadow but All Might had known he existed, and had pursued him.

"We tracked a lot of things," he said. "Money. Rumours of unusual or powerful quirks going missing. Scientists. Sometimes informers and..." The former Number One Hero sighed heavily. "Beating the shit out of some of them," he admitted.

Bakugou laughed.

"It's different this time though," Yagi warned. "All For One was more hands on. Kakurete seems to be more comfortable acting through others, and remaining hidden."

It was an odd thought, given that Kakurete was a Member of the House of Representatives. He didn't appear to hide anything, except his connection to the underworld.

"So where does that leave us?" Mirio asked.

That was the question. Katsuki's red eyes turned towards him. "Is anything they are saying false?"

"Saying?"

"The papers," Bakugou clarified will ill grace. He meant all the bad press Mirio had been getting lately.

"A lot of it is accusing Mirio of being too young," Nemuri said. She remembered reading it and wincing because there really wasn't much argument that could be made against it. Mirio was young. At 30, or was that 31, if he won, he would be the youngest Representative ever. Even Kakurete had only begun in his late 30s.

"So we capitalise on Mirio's youth," Sir Nighteye said with a shrug. "We have to show that youth is not a bad thing here. It's one of the reasons we chose his electorate. It has a younger population."

"What are the opinion polls?"

"They are close," Hizashi said. His station may not be a political one but he knew about these things.

"What else are they saying?"

"They are pointing to mental instability in the wake of League's attack that took my Quirk," Sir Nighteye said.

"Aren't those assessments meant to be confidential?" Hizashi asked. He'd been wondering that for a while.

Mirio sighed. "They are, but when I applied to be a candidate, they had to be disclosed."

"Bastard," Katsuki muttered. He already knew who had made that bit of legislation. Deku probably believed he'd thought of everything. There had to be something he'd missed.

Sir Nighteye looked to the side, thinking. "The reports have been careful. The trashier magazines and feeds are reporting the more outrageous stuff. The more conservative feeds are being more careful."

"Do you mean to tell me that everything is true?" Nemuri asked, her eyes wide.

"What I have seen has enough of an element of truth," Sir Nighteye admitted.

"The dropped excessive force charge?" Hizashi asked.

"It was borderline," Sir Nighteye defended Mirio.

"The love triangle at UA?"

"That what?" Mirio burst out.

Katsuki chuckled but he recognised the significance of Mirio's outburst.

"So that one isn't true?" Aizawa asked, laconically.

"Which one is reporting that?" Nemuri asked, interested.

"That trash feed AL."

Bakugou wasn't the only one to pull out his phone. A few moments later, quite a few people were chuckling. AL, which stood for Analyse Life, was a trashy feed full of scandals, a few which might even be real. "It says here, you are in a love triangle with Nejire Hado and Tamaki Amajiki. And at least part of the reason for your break down after Sir Nighteye lost his quirk was that Nejire had told you she preferred Tamaki but that she had regrets so that none of you are together, and happy."

"What?" Mirio gasped.

"The relationship started back in UA!"

"That's not true." Mirio was affronted.

"So it's something we can use to fight back," Aizawa said. "Who owns AL?"

"Phoenix Wave." Surprisingly it was Yagi who answered.

"Which is owned by Kunshu, which is owned by Kakurete."

"Could Mirio sue them for libel?" Midnight asked.

"We could but it wouldn't get back to Kakurete. At best, Phoenix Wave would cut AL loose. And AL lives to be sued. The more lawsuits they have, the closer to the truth they believe they are. They use them as advertising. The only way to get Kakurete on this would be to find an email, or a message or something from him telling them to ruin Mirio's reputation."

There were a couple of glances towards Bakugou after that.

"I'm a vigilante, not a fucking thief!" he snapped. "And I tell you, there won't be a record of it. If fucking Deku did to it, he would have done it verbally."

"So one of the editors could testify to it."

"Why?" Sir Nighteye asked. "For them this is just business. We need something solid. The word of one magazine editor, especially one that comes from a disreputable feed is not going to be enough to bring down a Representative."

"There is a way," Bakugou said. "I could just fucking take him out."

"That's murder."

"It solves the problem."

"Then, as far as I can see, Deku is just gonna walk all over you lot," he declared.

Aizawa huffed. They were in a bad situation. There had to be something they could do. He leaned forward. "Katsuki is most likely correct, and there will be no evidence of Kakurete giving any instruction to be negative towards Mirio. We should concentrate on those things that are likely to work."

"Taking him out?" Bakugou sniped but Aizawa knew this time he was saying it to be deliberately annoying. Thankfully Sir Nighteye recognised that as well.

"Following the money." Aizawa countered. "The books look legitimate now. We know they aren't. So let's look back in time. There has to be something there. No one is a perfect villain when they first began. So let's get a timeline on him, and then trace the cash." The former pro hero looked at Toshinori. "You believe that Kakurete is one of All For One's students?" He asked.

Yagi nodded, his eyes grim. It was paining that the old villain was still causing problems.

"Then if he was anything like Tomura, there will be some early mistakes. We saw Tomura get better over the years. I think we missed Kakurete because we were focused on Tomura. Let's find those early mistakes he made."

"The money," Sir Nighteye nodded. "I'll look into the books from the time when Kakurete took over Kunshu. If there's going to be a mistake, it will be then."

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "I'll make sure the League remains hidden," he said sarcastically. It translated to he would do what he'd been doing anyway, which was breaking the law and generally getting away with it. It went unspoken that he'd try to capture more League members. Maybe one of them would speak before they were taken out. Maybe one of them knew something they shouldn't.

Hizashi sighed. "I'll see what I can do to counter some of those rumours, or at least lessen their impact," he told Mirio.

"Thank you," the candidate said. "I'll see if I can get any government documents about Kakurete. I'm not a Representative yet, but most of the parties were trying to attract me."

"They still are?"

"Some have backed off, but some are still going about it. I'll see what they can give me."

"Do that," Aizawa encouraged.

"I have some business contacts," Nemuri said. "No one within Kunshu but I know a couple of the Advertising Directors for a couple of the feeds. I'll see what they have to say about Kakurete."

It was possible one of them knew something.

The group nodded, but they were aware that they were still facing an uphill battle.

A heroes, they'd never backed away from a fight. They wouldn't fail now.

 **-afop-**


	27. Part 2: Chapter 9

**Part 2: Chapter 9**

Nemuri's contacts hadn't been able to give her much on Kakurete. Most of them had never met him and those that had really didn't have anything incriminating to say. The man was their boss, nothing more. He occasionally came in to approve a particular advertising campaign but for the most part his duties as a Representative took precedence. They all reported that Kakurete wasn't much involved with the companies he owned. He ran Kunshu, and allowed Kunshu to run the other companies.

But one of her contacts had whispered something to her about BioSimip. It wasn't about their QERI program, but about something before that. BioSimip made sleeping pills that they calmed were derived from natural ingredients. The mag had tested the pills and agreed they were natural ingredients, but they had found something else. They had isolated what BioSimip claimed was a quirk based ingredient. It was only found in the high end sleeping pills. The lower quality ones used a synthesized variant. Her source had wanted it investigated further but no one ever did, except for now, when there were people asking questions. Nemuri had tried to find out who else her source had told but he'd shrugged, and told her he'd given the information to anyone who asked. She'd focused on the information after that. Who else knew only became important if she had something.

By itself, the incorrect listing, wasn't anything that bad. What made it noteworthy was that the ingredient wasn't actually registered. Not properly anyway. The registration had holes in it. It wasn't like someone had forgotten to sign a page or something. The source had not been filled in on the registration. The source always had to be filled in to ensure that they were being properly compensated for their contribution. The fact that the source wasn't listed was odd and could mean a few things.

One, the source wasn't actually a quirk but was something BioSimip had synthesised completely. That would cause a bit of a scandal if true. The testing regime on a quirk based drug was different for that on a laboratory created drug. If BioSimip had listed the compound as being quirk based when it wasn't, they could be in trouble for that. Another possibility was that the source wasn't one they wanted to admit to. And that, with BioSimip's link to Kakurete could be a link to the League.

Her contacts told her they believed the compound was quirk based. Through the years, they had made several observations that lead them to that belief, but Nemuri wasn't interested in that. She was interested in the fact that they had managed to confirm that a young man with light brown hair made a biological delivery each week. It was a smallish canister. The routine was so established that he simply delivered it to the receptionist, who handed over an envelope and he went on his way.

Apart from the fact that it was a completely improper way to accept what was a potential biohazard, Nemuri was interested in the description. He sounded like Mustard.

And wouldn't that be interesting, if Mustard was producing the quirk based ingredient BioSimip used? It would provide a direct tie between Kakurete and the League, though Nemuri was not so blind to realise it would be that easy. Kakurete could claim he didn't know. But if they could tie BioSimip to the League then that would cause problems.

She sighed. They had enough information to cause Kakurete problems but nothing big enough to bring him down. It was getting to the point when they should just release their information. Giving him problems was not their goal but at the moment, it might be all they were capable of, and you never knew which problem would be the one to snow ball into the one that did bring him down.

That's why she was following the young man who had made the delivery this week. If not for the missing teeth, he might have been called handsome. He had several tattoos on his forearms, but she couldn't see much more. He'd taken the envelope and shoved it into his pocket before leaving BioSimip. Then he'd walked back to a train station.

That much had been easy to follow. She was sitting in an adjacent carriage watching him through the glass. He was tapping at his phone. Nemuri was pretending to read hers.

Finally he got up. She was surprised. It was a good neighbourhood. Working class but not lower working class. Middle working class. The young man walked out of the station, confidently strolling down the empty roads. It was an older part of town. They were narrow. You could fit one small car down them. They were mostly for walking. She wondered if he'd lead her here deliberately. At this time of day, the suburb was empty.

Still, for all that many thought her a one trick pony, Nemuri had been a fully fledged Pro Hero. She could convincingly follow someone, even when there were no crowds to hide behind. It just required the ability to pay attention to your surroundings.

The man didn't look back often, but when he did, Nemuri was always out of sight. In the inset of a narrow walkway, around the corner of one of the tall garden walls, behind some bins that had been left out to clog up the available space. It wasn't glamorous but it got the job done. At least, that's what Nemuri thought until the man turned a corner, and she then heard his feet plet against the ground as he ran.

She swore, and took off after him. Thankfully she was close enough that she didn't lose him in the rabbit warren that was the suburb. Instead she ran straight into his trap.

It was a cul-de-sac. He stood at the end. Pink gas surrounded him. Nemuri ran into it, and breathed it in before she realised what had happened.

"Mustard!" She gasped the identification.

The bastard grinned at her looking up and she could see he had a thin mask over his face. It wasn't the old style gas mask he had worn when he was younger. This was something new, more modern. It did the job without being anywhere near as bulky.

"You should be asleep soon," he told her casually.

Midnight nodded, and then staggered.

He took a step closer.

She leaned against one of the fences, her hands steadying her. And then Nemuri felt her legs collapse. She folded them under her.

He chuckled and moved in.

Just what she had been waiting for. She hadn't collapsed without a purpose, instead, she was resting on her feet, and Nemuri lashed out now, spinning to sweep Mustard's legs out from under him. He went down cursing, straight into a quagmire of the compounds her quirk allowed her to make. Nemuri lunged at him, reaching for his gas mask.

Mustard wasn't a large man, but he was fit. Thankfully she hadn't let her training go to waste, and one thing no one really expected with her theme was for her to be a grappler fighter. But really, grappling was just another position for sex, and she was expected to be proficient there.

It was an interesting thing when those who created compounds fought. Nemuri was affected by Mustard's sleeping agent, but after so long of making her own, she did have some resistance. She wasn't sure if he did. He always seemed to wear a mask, indicating that he may be susceptible to his own creation.

Nemuri hoped he was. She might pass out for a little, but she should wake up first. And then she could capture him.

She got her fingers under his mask and then allowed Mustard to push her off him. His mast went with her. Nemuri rolled on the ground, gaining distance but she still heard him gasp.

"Two can play the sleeping game," she told him as she rose. Mustard snarled at her. Nemuri tried to breathe lightly as she directed her quirk towards him.

He recognised the gesture and made his own. She felt her chemicals pushed away but Mustard raised one hand, holding it over his face. "Is the little boy feeling sleepy?" she mocked She wished she had her whip. If she did, then she could have pulled him over.

"Bitch," he growled and Nemuri was surprised when he lunged at her. Despite the years, there wasn't much information about Mustard's fighting style. He tended to hold back and let his gas take care of his enemies but he was known for carrying a gun. Nemuri examined him, tossing the mask away as far as she could. She couldn't see a gun, but it was something to be wary of.

"You are just like those morons! The world pandered to you because your quirk was good but still safe." Mustard swung at her. It seemed slow. She tried to hit him back but Nemuri knew her reaction time was compromised. They both ended up swinging wide and staggering like two drunks. Except, the fact that Mustard could move meant he also had some immunity.

This was not going to be fun, in any sense of the word. She had been trained to fight under the influence of drugs. It was in the third year curriculum and was meant to help if you were ever targeted or kidnapped. Nemuri wasn't sure if it really helped but at least she was still on her feet. They took another few swings at each other, staggering when they managed to connect but Nemuri could feel her eyes growing heavy and her thoughts were logy. She couldn't last much longer.

Thankfully Mustard appeared to be in the same boat. The villain was obviously stronger now than he had been. He glared at her, and then staggered away, weaving his way back down the cul-de-sac. Midnight considered following but it was all she could do to keep her eyes open. This time, when she slumped against a fence and her legs collapsed under her, it wasn't a ploy. She kept her eyes on Mustard. He went through a gate, entering the tiny front gardens the houses in this area had.

The gate closed and she collapsed. She barely heard him collapse before sleep dragged her under.

-afop-

Dabi made his way down the road. He didn't like visiting Mustard. The League member lived too much in society for his comfort. The surrounds were proof of that. The houses weren't mansions, not like the traditional house he'd grown up in but they weren't small. These houses belonged to those on the upper end of comfortable.

They all had gardens and high fences but the houses looked over those fences and judged him. To say nothing of the rabbit warren the twisting streets were. He always felt exposed here, despite everything closing in. Still, Mustard was correct about one thing, at this time of day, he almost never ran into anyone, so from that point of view, it was safe enough.

There were cameras on a lot of houses but so long as no one stole anything, there was no reason to look at those cameras.

Still, he was cautious and made sure he wasn't being followed. That was routine so as he walked, Dabi thought about what Imoku wanted. Killing ExplodoKill was something the League wanted but it wasn't like killing a villain. The vigilante didn't follow a routine. Though maybe… Dabi frowned, thinking about what he knew of the man.

ExplodoKill was a childish name. It reflected his childish nature. He had been enrolled in UA's hero course, and had failed the first round of mandated psyche testing. After that, he'd just never shown up to the General Studies course and… that was when people lost track of him. He wasn't in the underworld. Dabi had checked, though he had been around the fringes. So who was his supplier?

That was something to ask Giran.

The fire villain nodded. And if the vigilante wouldn't play ball, then there were other ways to make him. ExplodoKill still had family.

Dabi felt his scarred skin stretch in a smile. It wasn't honourable, but the League were villains and it was time to remind the world of that. Taking out a vigilante's family would send a message. And Imoku had said they could go wild against ExplodoKill providing the vigilante died. Dabi wondered what Imoku had against the man… Nothing sprang to mind. He snorted to himself, nothing would spring to mind. The boss was very good at hiding his desires and his past.

Dabi wasn't stupid. He had looked into Imoku's past as much as he could. There wasn't much to find. There wasn't meant to be much to find and everything he did was legit. Over the years, while it was like pulling teeth, he'd managed to extract some information from Kurogiri about Imoku. The warp villain was ridiculously loyal. Just like Toga.

But Kurogiri confirmed that Imoku had been set up in the system by the Old Man. He ran the League's legitimate businesses, and paid the League. At least he had, until he turned the League into its own business. Very successful businesses too, Dabi was forced to admit. Mustard worked once a week and made enough to live here. He worked more, but he had he Noumu's and had gone into a more underground business. With the reintegration of heroes, the public was not able to see Villain versus Hero quirk battles on a daily basis, and to compensate, quirk based fighting rings exploded in popularity. There were some legit ones, but they were wussy. The ones that were really popular were the underground rings. He was at the centre of them all, and actually ran several levels of quirk fighting rings. The rules got harder, as did the fighters as you moved up the ranks.

The final champion was the Noumu High End. The creature loved to fight, and the harder his opponent the more he loved it. Dabi loved High End as well. There was a huge winner's purse for anyone who could defeat the Noumu. He'd never had to pay it out.

But that was beside the point. There wasn't much to learn about Imoku and even when Dabi took Toga's pet name of Izuku and looked for information, there was even less. He had managed to make the connection between Imoku and Izuku Midoriya. Imoku looked exactly like a much older Izuku but was that really possible? Not the aging. Dabi knew that was possible, but the knowledge and the rest of it. Could Imoku really only be about 28… in which case, how the hell had he managed to run the companies and be a Member of the House of Representatives at 16? That bit beggared belief.

But if it was true, then that would explain the connection between Imoku and ExplodoKill. The two of them had supposedly been friends.

Hah! Friends. Not that good a friend if Imoku wanted the other man dead.

Dabi shrugged as he neared Mustard's house. He'd think about it later, and maybe he'd even just ask. Given that ExplodoKill had taken out Twice, and captured Ujiko, the League didn't need any more reason to kill him. But it would be nice to get to know the boss a bit more.

Dabi stopped. His nose twitched. He knew that smell. You work with a man for more than 13 years and you learn what his Quirk smelt like. Mustard had been using his in the street. But it wasn't his quirk alone. There was something else mixed in with it.

The smell was subtle but Dabi had practice. He also knew that this toxicity wasn't enough to affect him but he still pulled out a mask. It was better to be safe than sorry. The League still carried their gas masks. It was good practice and a defense against more than just Mustard, and if nothing else, it doubled as a regular mask to hide his identity.

Dabi looked around carefully. He couldn't see anyone and he couldn't feel anyone but before he moved forward he palmed his phone and messaged Kurogiri. He waited for a reply before he walked further, cautiously towards Mustard's house. The gas grew thicker but he could tell it was dissipating.

Mustard lived in a cul-de-sac. Dabi knew that and so peeked around the fence of one of the neighbours to check the coast was clear. He hadn't expected to see a woman slumped against the fence a little way into the road. She had tried to keep herself upright but had fallen and was now asleep. At least Dabi assumed she was asleep. He examined her carefully. Here was a good place for an ambush. Her eyes were closed and her hair was black… but there was something familiar about the spiky tufts. He was sure he'd seen her before. Dabi's eyes narrowed as he continued to examine the street. He couldn't see Mustard and if he'd gotten into a fight and had managed to subdue the woman, then why was she still on the street?

He looked to the gate that lead to Mustard's house. It was closed. Dabi examined the bottom of it but couldn't see anything underneath it. Then he looked back at the woman. She hadn't moved. That was good. Those who were pretending to be asleep often liked to shift and murmur things to enhance the illusion, except it broke it. People stayed still when they were asleep, and under the influence of Mustard's Quirk one didn't go through the dream phase which might allow some movement. Either the woman knew what she was doing, or she was really asleep. Given Mustard's Quirk, the later was most likely true.

Dabi examined her again, looking at her face. He still thought he'd seen her before. It was a long time ago, back before the integration of her- Midnight. Dabi felt his eyes widen when he finally placed her.

What the hell was Midnight doing here, passed out in the street near Mustard's… Well, that was the explanation of itself. But where was Mustard? Dabi brought his phone out again.

 _Has Mustard messaged you?_ He sent to Kurogiri.

 _No._ The reply was quick. The answer wasn't helpful. Who else would Mustard have called? Though that didn't explain why Midnight was in the street. If he'd won, he would have…

Shit. That meant Mustard was probably inside and passed out. The idiot! If he'd known Midnight was there, why hadn't he called for back up? Dabi phoned Kurogiri and once the League's warper had picked up he put the phone back in his pocket. With this question, the warp villain would know what was needed.

Dabi strode forward, reaching down to grab the back of Midnight's shirt and drag her towards Mustard's house. He was almost at the gate when it exploded outwards. Dabi might not have been in the news as a Villain for the last few years, but he had kept up his training. He jumped back. The motion took the former hero with him and he dropped her, covering both of his hands in blue flame as he raised them.

He half expected to hear an alarm but the area remained eerily quiet.

"Fucker!"

The expletive wasn't expected. Out of the dust caused by the explosion, someone Dabi hadn't expected to see walked through the ruins of the gate. He was dragging Mustard. Mustard was unconscious. His mouth was agape and Dabi could see that the vigilante had knocked out his false teeth.

"ExplodoKill," Dabi greeted the conscious man.

The blond glared at him before a vicious smile spread across the vigilante's face. "Dabi," he replied. "Just the man I wanted to see."

"Oh?" He asked, raising one eyebrow, but not lowering his hands. The vigilante was fast and with his explosive quirk, he was dangerous.

ExplodoKill dumped Mustard's body, throwing it to the ground harshly and he raised one hand, half mirroring Dabi's stance. Small explosions danced in his palm. "Because you can tell me about your boss!"

Dabi snorted and held his ground, matching ExplodoKill's explosion with a burst of fire. "Now, why would you want to know about him?" He asked. According to Toga ExplodoKill already knew about their boss. He could feel Kurogiri listening in but the warp villain would wait for a signal before making his move. Besides, Imoku had said they could kill ExplodoKill and what type of Leader would he be if he didn't at least try.

"I want to know all about the fucker!" ExplodoKill snarled.

Dabi tossed a fireball back and forth between his hands. "As it happens, the boss has an interest in you," he told the vigilante.

"That fucking Deku!" ExplodoKing roared and drove forward again.

The fire villain dodged to the side to avoid the blast and then he extended one hand, trying to get a hit in on the vigilante's chest. He was well balanced, and managed to jerk back in time, though Dabi knew the heat of his quirk would have been felt. The vigilante leapt backwards, somersaulting back, and attempting to lash out with his feet. Dabi was a little jealous. He wasn't sure he could pull that move. Instead he threw the fire ball at ExplodoKill.

The vigilante swatted it from the air an exploding hand. Dabi didn't smile as he generated a new fireball. Again he tossed it like a ball. The vigilante's eyes followed it, and Dabi generated another fireball, dropping this one quickly.

"You're gonna juggle?" ExplodoKill mocked.

"Maybe," Dabi joked, generating more fireballs. He tossed them into the air, and did actually juggle a few before he flicked them towards the blond.

The first few he allowed the vigilante to swat away. It established a routine. Then one exploded as ExplodoKill tried to whack it. The vigilante hissed as the heat wave washed over him and jumped back from the other fireballs coming at him. Dabi snapped his fingers, exploding the others. He was used to the heat but he knew the vigilante would have burns.

"Fucker!" the curse confirmed his thought.

Dabi created a new set of fireballs. They were his current favourite trick and over the years, he had learned a thing or two about how to use his quirk. This time ExplodoKill was slightly more cautious but the vigilante was determined to get him, and the vigilante knew how many times he'd slipped away via Ujiko's or Kurogiri's warp gates. He was probably suspicious of those.

ExplodoKill narrowed his eyes, and then he raised his hands. He made an odd gesture, curling his fingers into a circle. Dabi was wary and felt a flash of concern when a concentrated explosion shot forth. It was almost like a laser. He hadn't been the only one to create new tricks over the years. The fire villain didn't like to but he drove forward. To defeat the vigilante, all he had to do was get one hand on him. Then… flames did so like to spread. But Dabi knew that ExplodoKill wouldn't make it easy for him.

The vigilante dodged, throwing several explosions in his way. They scored the white facing of the tall fences. The cul-de-sac was going to need a makeover by the time they were done. They traded blows but both were well trained. ExplodoKill snarled but Dabi knew better than to think it was because the vigilante was losing his cool. The man was just naturally angry.

It was confirmed when ExplodoKill formed a fist. Dabi could feel the explosions within it. He countered with his own fire covered hand, and there was a larger explosion when the two of them meet. The windows in the surrounding houses rattled. From the sound a few shattered, but Dabi didn't have time to pay attention to that.

ExplodoKill was grinning at him. That wasn't a good sign. Dabi knew the smiles of those who were addicted to combat, this was different. This was the smile of someone who's plans had come together. The vigilante moved. Dabi blinked. He was far faster than he had been but before the fire villain could brace, he was pushed forward by an explosion. His eyes widened. ExplodoKill was still in front of him, how had the explosion come from behind. Then he was pushed to the side. Again there was nothing there.

Then there was. The vigilante was upon him, hitting hard. "I'm better than you," he hissed. "Stronger. Faster. Superior."

Dabi gritted his teeth. He knew how to take a beating, even if he didn't like it. It was one of the lessons daddy-dearest had literally beaten into him. He retaliated when he could, pushing out flames to ward off the worst of ExplodoKill's punches as he tried to work out how the vigilante had hit him from behind and the side. There was no reason!

He cried out when something snapped. His arm. That hurt! Dabi leapt back, almost hitting the fence of one of the houses.

ExplodoKill allowed the movement, his expression smug. Dabi stood, flexing his fingers slightly. His arm hurt, but he had to push past that, no matter how hard it was. A glance told him the skin was unbroken. That was something. It was a clean break. His eyes narrowed as he considered the problem. It wasn't his arm, it was ExplodoKill's quirk. If the vigilante could hit him from angles he couldn't cover, then he needed reinforcements. Mustard was still on the street where the blond had dumped him and no one in the League was quite ready for this. Kurogiri was ready but the warp villain wouldn't fight. Which meant…

Midnight could be leverage. Maybe.

It was worth trying. Especially with his arm. He had to at least make some strike against ExplodoKill before he retreated. "You aren't a very good vigilante, are you?" Dabi mocked. "All the vigilante's I've know have wanted to be heroes. You? You are just in it for the thrill of the fight."

ExplodoKill glared at him through narrowed eyes but didn't deny it.

"Even so, I would have thought, you might give some consideration to your allies." Dabi lit up one hand, and held it out towards the still unconscious former pro hero.

ExplodoKill snorted. There was no concern in his expression. Instead he raised one hand, letting explosions pass over it before he tilted it backwards, straight at Mustard.

Bugger.

The vigilante grinned. "I don't give a fuck about her."

That was probably true but Dabi had to get leverage somewhere. "I think you do," he scoffed. "You've been careful so far, not to kill. You know what would happen if you do," he added.

ExplodoKill scowled. It was his default expression but Dabi could see that he wasn't happy. There was a certain amount of truth in his words. Vigilante's weren't tolerated but there were those who had survived for longer because they didn't rock the boat too much. ExplodoKill was relatively new. ExplodoKill wanted to shake the foundations. The Government couldn't allow that. Even losing an election, the institution couldn't allow it, since they had to preserve the law.

"He might be a villain but if you kill him, I think you will find his life has more worth than you thought," Dabi finished with a smile, that was more of a grimace, given the pain from his arm. He didn't have to say the rest, that if he killed Midnight, it would just be written off as a villain attack. There might be a bit more searching for him, but Dabi had lived through campaigns like that before. He wasn't in Tartarus. He'd be laying low for a bit with his arm, anyway.

The vigilante hissed.

It was enough of an acknowledgement of Dabi's truth.

"I don't care," the blond growled, and Mustard's body was rocked by several explosions. The vigilante hadn't moved. It was the same technique he'd used on Dabi earlier.

The fire villain watched carefully. He still couldn't see how it was being done but it didn't matter. In retaliation he let out a small jet of flame. It hit Midnight, catching the midriff of her clothes and setting it alight. Dabi controlled the fire, not letting it spread. He wasn't some perv who needed to burn off women's clothing to get his jollies.

The vigilante's expression didn't change. Instead he allowed a few more explosions to shake Mustard's body. Dabi stared flatly, but he knew where this was going. He sent more fire towards the former pro hero.

"Kurogiri," Dabi whispered, knowing the warp villain was still listening. He'd know what the name meant.

"Let's finish this, fucker!" ExplodoKill snarled.

"Yes, let's," Dabi agreed. He snapped the fingers of his good hand. A wall of fire appeared between them.

"Weakling!" the vigilante cried and dove through the flames.

Dabi expected that and while it hurt like a bitch he held up his broken arm, sending a gout of flame towards the vigilante. The man was wise enough to avoid it but it did stop his charge. It gave Dabi time to send more fire towards the fallen pro hero.

"Oh, if that's the way you want it!" ExplodoKill yelled. His hands pointed backwards and Dabi winced at the noise as explosions covered Mustard. The other villain didn't wake up but nor had Midnight.

Internally Dabi sighed. "That's the way it will be," he said, affecting an unconcerned tone. He really didn't want to lose another member of the League but at least they would get Midnight as well. He increased the intensity of his fire. The smell of burning flesh filled the cul-de-sac. Fat and hair had an odd smell. It wasn't nice. He was used to it. From the expression on ExplodoKill's face, the vigilante wasn't.

Kurogiri finally opened a portal.

"No!" the vigilante screamed.

Dabi smiled. He wished he'd done more but he recognised reality and retreating was the better option, for now. "You can deal with this," he told the blond as he stepped back.

ExplodoKill lunged towards him, both hands extended and throwing explosions towards him. Dabi raised his arms protectively over his body, groaning as the break pained him. He was going to pay for that. The pressure passed over him and then the warp closed around him and he was in the familiar surrounds of his office.

"Argh!" he cried out, allowing himself to fully feel the pain in his arm. And from the places ExplodoKill had hit with his Quirk.

Kurogiri appeared. The man didn't say anything. Instead he looked him over and Dabi was thankful when another small warp appeared over the table, disgorging a first aid kit.

"Fucking vigilante!" Dabi growled.

"Mustard?" the warp villain asked.

Dabi shook his head, as he opened the first aid supplies one handed. He grabbed the pain killers, downing them quickly before he looked for a splint for his arm. At least the break was clean. "Fucking ExplodoKill was waiting for him," Dabi explained.

"Did you kill him?" Kurogiri asked.

Dabi didn't glare but the warp villain knew the answer to that. "The fucker is strong," he admitted. "I got Midnight," he told him.

"It will be a group effort," Kurogiri agreed. The warp villain rarely let his opinion be known but Dabi thought the old League member was slightly disappointed. It was hard to tell.

"Next time," Dabi said, wincing as he splinted his arm. Kurogiri approached and took over the procedure. The warp villain was better at it anyway. "Next time," Dabi repeated.

"Next time," Kurogiri agreed. "Though possibly there won't be a next time," he added.

Dabi looked at him sharply. The question obvious.

"The police won't take well to vigilantism," the warp villain said, reminding Dabi of what he had told ExplodoKill.

"We can hope," the fire villain agreed with a nod. He could hope, but while he knew what Police procedure was, he didn't think it would be enough to stop ExplodoKill.

Imoku was right. They had to kill him.

They just needed the right opportunity.

-afop-

 **FORMER PRO HERO FOUND DEAD**

Aizawa swore at his news feed and clicked the article. It wouldn't be news unless there was something unusual about it.

 _The leafy suburb of Seibu has been rocked by the discovery of two bodies. One has been positively identified as former Pro Hero Midnight. The other is an unidentified male, who is reportedly a resident of the area. He was found just outside his home._

 _There was evidence of a fight, and both deaths are being treated as suspicious. Police are wanting to question the Vigilante ExplodoKill in relation to the deaths._

"Shit!" Shouta exploded. He didn't need to read any more. He forwarded the article to Bakugou. It was his demand for an explanation.

His phone beeped in response, far too quickly for his comfort.

 _The male is Mustard._

 _And?_ Aizawa sent back. The explanation was not appropriate. It explained nothing, despite the fact that Bakugou obviously thought that it would. The boy was intelligent but he often forgot that others did not share his base assumptions. The former pro hero glared at his phone.

 _I was waiting for him to come home,_ came the further response. Aizawa began to have an inkling of what happened now. He didn't like his conclusions.

 _The bastard didn't come in, so I went to investigate. Midnight was down. Looks like they gassed each other_

Shouta blinked at the message, not sure what to think. They gassed each other? It was technically possible. But that didn't explain why Midnight was dead, especially if Bakugou was there. Maybe Mustard would have died, but Midnight should have received treatment. _That doesn't explain their deaths._ He sent the message.

 _Dabi was there._

Seriously, at times it was like pulling teeth to get information. Aizawa looked at the article again. There was no mention of the villain, and usually there would be.

 _Dabi left no evidence,_ he noted.

 _The bastard ran_.

 _That may be but the police want you._ He felt obligated to point out, as he deliberately took several calming breaths. He wasn't being paid enough to deal with this shit. Hell, he wasn't being paid to deal with Bakugou!

 _They won't catch me._

The boy was as cocky as ever. Aizawa knew he couldn't say much more. Katsuki wouldn't listen. _Make sure of that. Kakurete will influence charges,_ he told his former student. _Probably QERI too,_ he added.

 _They won't._

He seemed sure. Shouta knew that it was a facade and he left it. He had enough to think about now. Briefly he closed his eyes, thinking about Midnight.

Her presence raised questions. What had she been doing? Had it been chance she'd encountered Mustard or something else.?

He sighed. Now he had another thing to look into. Maybe Sir Nighteye knew.

He hoped Sir Nighteye knew.

Aizawa had a feeling that All Might's former sidekick wouldn't. It was going to be a long few weeks.

-afop-

Imoku sat in the Parliament. With an election called, and campaigning underway, the Government was in caretaker mode so he wasn't sure why they were in session. They were though, and he never missed a session. It wasn't any comfort that Yatou Rida, the opposition leader didn't look pleased. He'd asked Masami what the purpose was but the current Foreign Minister didn't know. She was seated near the bottom of the tiered room, her expression studiously neutral.

It was probably just the Prime Minister wanting to show off his power. That was normal. Kiyoshi Takenaka had been acceptable as the Deputy but once he got to the chief position he had slowly become less reasonable. It was one of the reasons the public was disenchanted with the government. This particular stunt today was most likely one of his last opportunities to show off power. Imoku imagined once the election was lost, the party would elect a new leader. Maybe even Masami.

That would be convenient for him but he would think on that when it happened.

His phone buzzed. It was set on silent, but Imoku pulled it out. There wasn't anything interesting happening and the reporters who were ever present in the public gallery were almost asleep. No one would comment about him being on his phone, especially when Imoku could see several others tapping away. It was better to get some work done.

He glanced at the message and froze.

 _There's been an RFI on BioSimip._

It wasn't much of a message but there was a reason it had been sent to him. Because BioSimip was involved with the Justice Department, certain pieces of information had to be given to the public when it was requested. That's what the RFI was, a request for information. There had been a few after QERI became known and he hadn't got a message. This one meant someone had requested specific, sensitive information.

 _Who?_ Imoku typed back.

 _PI Industries_

Imoku frowned. He didn't recognise the name and he had a pretty good understanding of companies out there. He did a quick search. Nothing came up. BioSimip could reject the information request on the grounds that the company was a front but that meant a legitimate company would be used next time. PI Industries.

The obvious expansion to it was private investigator. Imoku smiled to himself. It would make sense but who was the private investigator?

 _Who signed the request?_ Imoku asked. That would tell him more.

There was a delay as his contact no doubt checked. The agent knew to tell him immediately if there was a certain request. The details could follow.

 _Kagareta Hyojo,_ came the response.

Imoku didn't recognise the name but he recognised the kanji. His informant was one of the quirkless people he had employed. This particular contact had been forced to pull out of school early due to the bullying and her written language skills weren't the best. Still, she could read enough and the answer as to who requested the information was obvious.

He wasn't sure if his contact meant it, but she had used the kanji for 'dirty look' with the name. And if it was dirty look requesting information from BioSimip, then it was an easy deduction as to who was really looking. Look equalled eye, and dirty could mean dark, which could also become night… So Sir Nighteye, looking for PI Industries, which was probably something that was standing in for Mighty Industries.

The only question was if All Might was involved.

All Might still ran his company. The retired pro hero had reintegrated just like everyone else, but there was still a demand for posters and toys from the hero age. And Mighty Industries didn't just produce All Might merchandise. They had several contracts with movie studios. All Might was not a complete fool when it came to business but Imoku knew Kunshu could take him.

Except there had been no need. Mighty Industries did merchandise. That was all. They made a good income there, but they didn't trade in the same things Kunshu did, and up until now, there had been no conflict between the two companies.

There was now.

And he thought he knew why. His lips pressed together in a narrow line. He had _told_ BioSimip to keep a stockpile of Mustard's sleeping gas, and to only use the oldest in making their premium brand pill. They hadn't. And now, the connection was too obvious. Mustard was dead, killed by Bakugou, or if he wanted, he could blame Dabi, except that was a thought for another day, and BioSimip had to announce they only had limited supplies of their premium brand. The coincidence would be lost on most, but it could be enough to point others in the right direction, especially with this request.

He was going to have to check that other companies were obeying his instructions. But again, not today.

So, with Sir Nighteye looking into BioSimip, using a fake name that put a very different slant on the RFI. Sir Nighteye would know about Mustard. He would know about BioSimip. He might make the connection.

 _You've done well_ , Imoku typed, and closed the message stream as he thought.

He couldn't deny the RFI. Well BioSimip couldn't, because that would invalidate the QERI contract, and no doubt that was something Sir Nighteye wanted. Though the former pro hero would know that was a long shot.

What he could do though was make sure that Sir Nighteye was buried in information. BioSimip had an RFI response pack. It didn't include the information requested this time, but it would be a delaying tactic. It would take them a few days, at least to realise that information wasn't just buried. The response would let Imoku know what they were truly searching for. There was nothing incriminating with the requested information, it was just commercially sensitive, and BioSimip had the right to protect their commercial advantage.

And he had the right to shift the responsibility for employing Mustard, a known villain to one of the executives. Yagi Keikan would do nicely. The others would then fall in line.

Still, the information request was a warning.

They were closing in.

Imoku smiled, putting his phone away. No doubt Sir Nighteye thought of himself as a hunter, tracking down the information required. He was willing to bet that the former pro hero had forgotten the first rule of the hunt.

Gazelle never cornered the lion.

 **-afop-**

Notes:

汚れた表情 Kegareta hyōjō - Dirty Look


	28. Part 2: Chapter 10

**Part 2: Chapter 10**

"So what do we know about Imoku Kakurete?" Aizawa asked.

It was just the four of them today.

Sir Nighteye, Mirio, Yagi and himself. Midnight would never be with them again and it was better for everyone if Bakugou stayed away. His actions were being scrutinised and no one was sure if the Police would issue a warrant for his arrest. They should. They really should. He had killed Mustard and most likely let Midnight die but no one was entirely sure what had gone down. From the cause of death for Midnight and the damage to the street they knew Dabi had been there, but there were only so many working theories about what had happened, and Katsuki was laying low. They were still curious to know how he had tracked Mustard. That wasn't important now.

"He definitely has ties to the League," Sir Nighteye said.

"But you can't prove it," Aizawa added.

The former pro hero didn't look pleased.

"I can't prove it either, which is why I accepted Katsuki's theory about Imoku being Izuku."

"Are we sure about that?" Sir Nighteye asked. Beyond looks there was very little to connect the two. Imoku had perfect records. He had school records, all the way back to pre-school and he had an online footprint. When someone created a false identity they usually weren't that thorough. They did the official paperwork, and some rough attempts of online accounts but nothing with that much depth.

"No," Aizawa admitted. He was thinking about Imoku's reaction at Inko Midoriya's death. The Representative had been shocked, had been saddened but it was not the reaction of a son losing a mother. Though he could be one to just keep his emotions to himself. Or All For One might have removed his memory, or emotions… there were a lot of possibilities.

"It's possible," Toshinori said softly.

"You indicated All For One could have done it," Sir Nighteye said, remembering their previous conversation about this.

"More than that," the former Number One Hero said. "Something Imoku said once," he murmured.

Aizawa frowned. He wasn't aware that Yagi had met with Imoku, except for that one time, with him. "When we saw him?" he asked carefully, fishing to see if that was the time. He couldn't remember anything incriminating, which had been incredibly frustrating at the time.

Yagi nodded. "It's not so much what he said, but the way he said it. Do you remember, Aizawa, we asked Kakurete if he had ever thought about being a hero?"

The underground hero, reintegrated as a private investigator nodded.

Toshinori shuddered, and then braced himself. "He gave me a look when he answered. I didn't think anything of it at the time. But his answer was something I told Izuku."

Shouta groaned. He remembered what Imoku had said. "You are the hero who taught him a lesson?" He demanded.

"If Imoku is Izuku, then probably."

"What did you tell him?" Mirio asked.

"Izuku was quirkless. He asked me if it was possible to be a hero without a quirk," Yagi admitted. "I told him that without a suitable quirk, it would be too dangerous." The former Number One hero hung his head.

"That is logical," Sir Nighteye said.

Aizawa groaned again. "You really don't know what it's like to be quirkless, do you?" he asked, ignoring the irony of his question.

Toshinori winced at the question.

"What?" Sir Nighteye demanded.

"You really don't know what it's like to be quirkless," Aizawa said again.

"How dare you!?" The former hero snarled. Mirio didn't know where to look.

"You are quirkless," Aizawa agreed with the unspoken statement, "but everyone knows you had a quirk. Everyone knows who you are, thus you don't really know."

"And you do?"

"No." Shouta wasn't stupid. He could imagine but he'd never know. Quirkless rights had gotten better recently but he knew they hadn't been good. Kakurete was one of the driving forces behind the improvement. Another piece of circumstantial evidence tying Kakurete to Midoriya. "Have you ever researched, Izuku Midoriya?" He asked.

He had. After Katsuki told him who Imoku was, he had of course researched Izuku, though Bakugou's story had given Aizawa a fair understanding of what the quirkless lad had gone through.

"Of course not," Sir Nighteye relied.

"Maybe you should," Shouta said. "Izuku was quirkless. He was bullied and belittled, yet all he wanted to do was help people," the former underground hero told his companion. "He wanted to be a hero. Not number one, just a hero, yet everyone told him no, he couldn't, not without a quirk. Now imagine what would happen if the Number One Hero told him the same thing?"

It was perhaps merciless to lay it out like that but there was no other way of saying it. Yagi looked stricken but even with the expression, Aizawa knew he'd thought about this before.

Sir Nighteye's lips pressed into a tight line. He was thinking about it and not liking the conclusions he was drawing.

"I left Izuku on a roof," Toshinori said. "There is no record of him ever leaving that roof," he added.

"So," Mirio said slowly. "You think All For One spoke to him there? Kurogiri could have gotten them off the roof easily," he added.

"If Imoku is Izuku, then that is possible."

"How did he know to approach Izuku?" Sir Nighteye asked.

There was no answer to that.

"Could he have been in contact with Izuku previously?" Mirio asked. "Then Izuku contacted him on the roof."

"Izuku's phone wasn't used," Aizawa pointed out, but he acknowledged the boy could have been carrying another phone.

"Are we sure of that?" Toshinori asked. "Imoku encouraged investigations into Izuku's disappearance. He wouldn't have done that if he knew he was going to be exposed. Could he have corrupted the evidence?"

Sir Nighteye jerked back. Yagi's question was obvious and they, _he_ hadn't considered it. Why would Representative Kakurete back investigations into his own disappearance if there was any risk of exposure?

"I think we have to conclude that even if there is evidence at the point of Izuku's disappearance, it has been corrupted," the retired hero said. "Especially since we have the person acknowledged to have last seen Izuku."

"Possibly, though your original question has merit," Yagi said. "Why did, or how did, All For One know to speak to Izuku?"

"So you think Izuku is Imoku?"

"I like that possibility better than one of the other options," Toshinori seemed tired. Of everyone here, he was the most cognizant of the evil All For One represented. He knew the depths the man would sink to, the lines he would not even know he was crossing because for him, they never existed.

"Such as?" Mirio asked.

"That all of this is simply a ploy to waste our time and resources. That Izuku Midoriya was killed on that roof, and Imoku Kakurete was merely adjusted to have a resemblance."

"That's a bit far fetched, isn't it?" Aizawa demanded. Why would anyone adjust someone to look like an aged up 14 year old… The theory that Imoku was Izuku was far more likely but if they wanted to get creative, then he could get creative!

Both Yagi and Sir Nighteye gave him a look. Neither of them thought it was beyond the realm of possibility.

"If you are going to be that paranoid, are you sure _he's_ dead?" the former underground hero snapped.

"I'm sure he's dead," Toshinori said. He'd used up quite a few favours to have the corpse checked. All For One was dead. One For All had succeeded, and not through combat.

"You're sure? When Imoku visited Tartarus a few weeks before he died, and the last word he said was 'Izuku'?"

"What?" Mirio demanded.

Sir Nighteye's eyes narrowed as he examined Aizawa and then he broke out in a sweat. "You mean it, don't you? About his last word?" He barely whispered the question.

Yagi was gripping the arms of his chair so strongly his bones creaked.

"I do," Aizawa confirmed. "Bakugou told me but I confirmed it. The guards inform anyone who asks that his last word was Izuku."

"What are you suggesting?" Toshinori asked softly, fighting the nausea that was threatening to make him lose the little food he managed to keep down.

"You are the ones who told me All For One experimented with immortality. His body wasn't in good condition, so let's say he found another way, a way of preserving his mind, and Imoku is his host."

"That's not possible!" Mirio objected.

No one shushed him. They didn't know if it was possible or not.

"You mean to tell me, we might be facing him? That Imoku is _him_."

"I'm not saying that," Aizawa said, waving one hand. "I'm saying if you want to get creative with theories, then you might as well get creative."

"So what do you believe?" Mirio asked before his mentors could snap.

"I think Imoku is Izuku. I think All For One is dead. Imoku visited Tartarus but never went near him. Those records are public and there was no change in personality after his death indicating a new controlling mind," Shouta explained.

To the inexperienced, Sir Nighteye's expression didn't change but Aizawa could see that he relaxed slightly. He really had been taking his suggestion seriously.

"But as I told Bakugou when he informed me of the relationship between Imoku and Izuku, it doesn't matter. We are not here to stop Izuku, we are here to stop Imoku."

"Know your enemy," Yagi said. "While I agree we are after Imoku, if we know Izuku then we may be able to predict what he wants."

"So what does he want?" Mirio asked. "The League already has their goal. They wanted heroes gone and there are no longer heroes."

That brought silence to the table. "Izuku said he wanted to be a hero," Toshinori said finally. He had thought about the way the boy looked more than once. There had been something haunting about his eyes, and the way his mother keep up hope… Until now, when she was gone.

"Yes, and if we assume he joined the League then he'd want to destroy heroes, and to a large extent he has."

"Then now, he's simply trying to maintain the status," Aizawa said with a shrug before he nodded towards Mirio. "He represents the push to reinstate Heroes but Imoku is keeping that movement contained and controlled." It was almost admirable the way the politician was controlling events. It was skillful but it wasn't in the public's best interest.

"That means he's also controlling the League," Sir Nighteye said. "Maybe that's what we need to focus on, getting the League to be more active so that the movement can't be contained," he suggested.

"What?" Yagi demanded.

The quirkless former hero grimaced. "Not like that," he defended his position. "What I mean is we need to figure out why they aren't active."

"They are active," Aizawa pointed out. They had ample evidence of that.

"Not active in the public eye. And perhaps that's a way of getting the message out there."

"How?" Toshinori asked.

"Imoku based many of his speeches on the effects of language. How using the word villain made crimes all the more bad. It's not true of course. Crime rates haven't really changed. Insurance rate have but crime rates haven't. So we use that. Mirio uses that, he points out those stats that I'm sure Imoku would rather not be highlighted."

"Except no one is listening," Aizawa said pessimistically.

Mirio was embarrassed but didn't try to deny it.

"Then we support him," Sir Nighteye said, looking at Yagi.

The former Number One hero sighed, before he nodded. "Imoku knows what we are doing, so there is no point in hiding. I'll see who else will endorse you," he added.

Mirio nodded but he was frowning. "Why can't we just prove that Imoku is Izuku. It wouldn't be that hard."

Shouta raised one eyebrow and was thankful that Mirio blushed. He knew what that expression meant. "How?" He asked with deceptive gentleness.

"DNA testing?"

"And I could get the sample in a day or so," Aizawa admitted. "We could then have it tested against Izuku's birth blood sample, and then we'd all go to jail."

"What?" Mirio demanded.

Sir Nighteye nodded, backing up Aizawa's assessment. "Wrongful theft of biological material," he explained. "Unauthorised access to pediatric records, libel and slander."

Mirio paled. Before Quirks appeared, those tactics might have worked but protection of DNA was one of the changes that had been very strongly supported after Quirks came into existence. It was part of a futile effort to stop experimentation on humans. The experimentation was mostly dealt with in other ways, but the laws remained.

"And depending on how he wanted to play it, he'd publically have another test, which would come up false, or he'd have it come up true, and then play the victim," Aizawa summarised what he'd told Katsuki.

Mirio nodded and in that action he withdrew his suggestion. At least he didn't even suggest that Imoku might admit to being Izuku somehow.

"We have a lot of circumstantial evidence," Yagi said. "Should we just release that?"

"To what goal?" Sir Nighteye asked.

"Disruption," Toshinori admitted. They had their whole goal but they didn't yet have the means to achieve it. "While he is distracted dealing with the rumours he isn't stopping us."

"He's not doing much to stop us at the moment, and hoping that rumours keep him from controlling the League is not going to work," Sir Nighteye said. There had been times over the years when Imoku had been deep in political maneuvering. He couldn't have been controlling the League then. That's what Dabi was for… "Why don't we see if we can get Dabi arrested?" he suggested.

"It's probably not possible," Aizawa said softly. "You heard what happened with Midnight?" He asked.

Sir Nighteye nodded.

"Dabi's knows Katsuki is hunting the League, and he's probably buried himself in whatever hole he's been in for the last ten years."

"He can't be that well hidden!" Mirio objected.

Shouta looked at the young man. Dabi could be that well hidden. He, and the rest of the League had been avoiding Bakugou for a long time. They had practice at remaining hidden. "The only reason we are finding them now is luck, persistence and some very long term undercover work. Katsuki is doggedly determined," Aizawa summarised. He wouldn't tell them everything but they had to appreciate the amount of work going into this. He'd been working on his wall for years as well. Every piece of evidence there was meticulously collected. The enemy was smart. Those were the most dangerous kind.

"Katsuki is actually the closer to Dabi than all of us," Shouta sighed.

"How?" Sir Nighteye asked.

"The fighting rings," Aizawa reminded them. "He's got a title fight soon."

Yagi nodded. "Keep us informed," he said before looking at Mirio. "For the moment, it's probably best if you ignore Kakurete," he continued. "I'll get a group together to endorse you, which should raise your profile. I think, we are focused on the wrong thing here," he added with a heavy sigh.

"What do you mean?" Mirio asked.

"We are trying to work out a way of discrediting Kakurete. We probably can't. Even if we do find something, the polls have him very much ahead in his electorate, and it's too late for a new comer to nominate. So, we can't turn his electorate against him, which means we need to focus on getting you into Parliament so that you can argue against him there. Then we will have more time. We can discredit him over the period of the next term." All Might tactfully didn't mention that Kakurete would have the same time to discredit them, and that even once they did get Mirio into the House of Representatives, Kakurete had the history and contacts there. Change was going to be hard, but nothing worthwhile was easy.

They had to persist.

It was eerily reminiscent of the time he was chasing All For One. The man was diabolical and it always seemed as if the villain had the upper hand. Even when they were fighting he maintained an air of superiority… even in Tartarus. Yagi grimaced at the memory.

The gesture did not go unnoticed.

"What is it?" Sir Nighteye asked.

"I only ever visited All For One a few times in Tartarus. The man was cut off from everything. News, science, information, entertainment but I guess the guards told him enough."

Sir Nighteye and Aizawa nodded. They knew what Tartarus was like and they knew the conditions All For One had been kept in. He was constantly monitored and constrained. He could barely move for himself. It was a hell that had driven many of the prisoners mad. By all reports, All For One was not one of them.

"He was always smug, and pleased but there was one time when he-" Toshinori paused, remembering his nemesis. With the memory of meeting Imoku in his office, and what the politician had said, All For One's words took a new meaning. The connection was there, he was sure of it.

Even missing half his head, even in Tartarus, the man had given off a dangerous air. The guards all commented and were frequently changed. They did not want any of them influenced. All For One was confident. Captured and imprisoned in a state of the art prison, one of the best in the world, because on keeping dangerous quirk criminals secure, the governments of the world cooperated, yet he was still confident.

But that one time, he had been different. Yagi hadn't been able to spot it at first, it was only on consideration had he recognised the differences. All For One had been almost jubilant.

Yagi sighed. "Right as I was leaving, he turned to me," he explained. "And he said 'thank you'."

The others didn't think anything of it. Toshinori shook his head. "All For One is not a man who thanks anyone," he clarified. "He meant it that time."

"What was he thanking you for?" Aizawa asked.

"I asked, but he shook his head and just repeated it. He said, Thank you for giving me everything. I thought he meant Tomura. He had spoken about him before. But what if he meant Izuku?"

It was a sobering thought because while the League had been causing trouble, were still causing trouble, they alone couldn't have changed the laws. Imoku had done that. Granted, he hadn't been alone, he was an Independent, and had to get the government to approve the changes, but he had been the one to propose them, and now he was the one who was maintaining the new status quo.

"You think he did?" Mirio asked.

"I do," Yagi admitted, biting his lip. "And that makes it all my fault," he added, feeling a stab run through him that had nothing to do with physical pain.

All this time, he had been happy that All For One was gone but… the man had anticipated that already. Given that heroes were no more, who had really won?

The battle, Toshinori reminded himself. The battle, not the war. All For One wouldn't win the war. He was still here. One For All was still here. They still had a chance to win the war.

"I've spoken about fault with Mirio," Sir Nighteye said in a long suffering tone. "Did you know that All For One was watching Izuku? Or yourself?"

"No."

"Then it cannot be your fault. You didn't know what would happen, if the rooftop is the place where things happened. You couldn't have known. Imoku has made his choices, and those are not your fault."

"I could have told him something different. How hypocritical was I? I should have known how bad being quirkless was! I did know!"

Shouta shook his head. "How about instead of blaming ourselves, we look focus on how to fix the problem?" He asked sharply. He had to head off this guild session before it began.

"That would be wise," Sir Nighteye indicated, now knowing who to look at.

Yagi took a deep breath and sighed. "Let's focus on getting Mirio into the House of Representatives," he clarified the problem. "I still have some popularity, so I will endorse Mirio."

"Don't say anything against Kakurete," Aizawa warned.

"I won't," Toshinori agreed. Saying anything against Kakurete without a lot of proof would be suicide and would probably take Mirio down with them. Not that Kakurete wasn't already attempting that - probably.

"I will keep looking into the finances of his companies," Sir Nighteye said. "I've got a few things anyway."

"Follow the money," Mirio said.

"Indeed. If he has siphoned money to the League, then something will not add up."

"I will keep investigating him," Aizawa said. "I'll focus again on his mother."

Sir Nighteye and Yagi nodded. As Kakurete's supposedly only living relative, she would be in on the plan, and she could a weakness.

"I'll keep attempting to give popular speeches," Mirio said in a tone that said he definitely thought he had the short end of the stick.

They laughed but they all knew this job was serious. They had to find something…

Or the age of Heroes ended with them.

-afop-

Yagi collapsed onto his couch. He was almost over the top of it, curving his back as he stretched. Over the years, Toshinori had become very good at managing his stamina. After his first battle with All For One, it hadn't been too bad. He could still rely on One For All but after he had passed on his quirk, he had relearn the limits of his stamina, and after Kamino, he'd had to learn them yet again.

Over time, though he had gotten used to it and had learned to conserve his stamina for the important things. He never cleaned his house. He had people for that. He rarely cooked, instead he relied on high calorie mixes he could sip throughout the day. Yagi knew he was lucky. His income as a Hero allowed him to live comfortably now, and he did get some money from the government still, for services rendered.

Even so, days like today were tiring. Toshinori had alternately sat and stood to support Mirio has he gave several public speeches on the campaign trail. He'd been a part of Candidate Toogata's entourage. It was an interesting position. A lot of people over looked him until Mirio introduced him. Then, Toshinori felt somewhat bad for Mirio, he became the centre of attention. But the message was getting out there.

He'd only been to a few of Mirio's events, but the first opinion poll, which had come out today, had shown a definite pick up with Mirio's polling. Which was the entire reason he was out there, so as tired as Yagi was, he thought it time well spent.

His lounge was arranged as a speaking area, with two leather couches facing each other, separated by a coffee table. There was a recliner off to the side, overlooking the garden, and Toshinori liked to sit there when he could just watching the greenery. He could move things in the lounge easily enough if he wanted to watch television but often he didn't bother. There wasn't much news that made him happy.

It was only belatedly that Yagi realised he wasn't alone. He sat up slowly, trying to work out how many others were here without being obvious about it. It had been years since he had needed to be so spatially aware.

"You can look," a voice told him.

Yagi avoiding snapping his eyes to the speaker but he used his ears instead. By the sounds of things the speaker was sitting on the other couch. Toshinori pulled himself into an upright position and then looked over.

He avoided the startled exclamation only through years of control.

Imoku Kakurete was sitting there, with an oddly smug smile.

Toshinori blinked.

The Representative didn't disappear and he gave a small jolt of laughter indicating that he knew exactly why Yagi had blinked.

He glanced around his lounge without taking his eyes off Kakurete. Dabi was leaning against the door frame to the kitchen. Kurogiri was standing behind Imoku, and Spinner was on the other side. There was someone behind him. Toshinori assumed it was Toga.

This was not a social call.

Oddly, he wasn't afraid.

Imoku smiled at him. "Given who you are, and how long the League has fought against you, I thought it appropriate that everyone came."

"Everyone?" Toshinori asked, settling himself more comfortably.

The Representative nodded. "My commanders," he said. "And-" Something huge and hulking came into the room. Yagi didn't recognise it exactly but he knew what it was.

"You still have them?" he couldn't help but gasp.

The politician tsked. "That makes the Noumu sound like they are just a manufactured thing. Have some respect for them. This is High End. He wanted to meet you."

"Fight now?" The huge creature growled the question.

Toshinori was shocked. None of the other Noumu had ever said anything. This one hadn't said anything while it was captured.

"Not this one. This one is now weak," Imoku said, looking at the creature.

"Want fight!" High End said. "Like Giganta!"

Giganta was the way High End referred to Gigantomachia. The two had fought years back when the huge man had confronted the League. Imoku had tried to explain that he was not a combat leader but Gigantomachia hadn't considered him a worthy successor to All For One. High End had protected Imoku and had enjoyed the fight immensely.

Imoku smiled. "You can fight his successor."

The Noumu looked at Imoku, and then back to Toshinori. He tensed, even though he couldn't do much against the hulking brute.

"I promise," Imoku added in a soft tone.

The Noumu relaxed and then nodded before moving back so that it was standing near the wall.

Yagi didn't shudder but it was a close thing. "You know?" He whispered the question. He still wasn't afraid but he knew he had to get out of here. Somehow.

"I know about All For One," Imoku said. Ingrained in his words was the knowledge that he knew about One For All as well.

The rest of the League members just watched. It confirmed to Yagi that Imoku was their leader and he knew what they were here for. How he could turn it against them though was something he was still trying to work out. If he attempted to get his phone, Imoku would notice. There was security on his door, but with the warp villain here, Toshinori was positive the League had not left any sign there.

How was he going to get out of this… or at the very least get word out… There had to be a way.

"No questions? No demands?" Imoku prompted with an expectant air.

Toshinori looked back. "You are the ones who invited yourselves," he pointed out. "If you want, I'll be a good host and get you some tea," he offered, but made no attempt to stand. He already knew how the offer would be taken.

"We wouldn't want to impose," Kakurete said coldly. He also knew that the offer was a blatant attempt to be alone for a few moments.

They sized each other up. Imoku appeared comfortable. Yagi hoped he appeared the same. The silence stretched. "So why have you come?" Toshinori asked into the silence.

Imoku leaned forward slightly. "For every action, there is a reaction. I trust you know which action has caused this?"

The former number one hero tried to think. There was nothing obvious. He wasn't in charge of investigating Imoku's past, that was Aizawa. He wasn't looking into his businesses either. That was Sir Nighteye. They would both do a better job. He was in charge of supporting Mirio…

"Are you that desperate to keep him out of the House of Representatives?" Toshinori blurted.

Imoku leaned back again, hooking one elbow over the back of the couch. "His presence would change nothing, but would add complications that I feel are best dealt with preemptively."

Yagi gave the politician a disbelieving look. He arched one eyebrow. "In non politician speak?" he prodded, as an idea came to him. His house was wired. Alexa could record things and send it to Sir Nighteye or the Police. They could catch Imoku here and now in the presence of the League.

The Representative sighed. "Mirio could campaign all he wanted to bring back heroes, but it won't work. The benefits have become clear to the government over the last few years."

"It will most likely be a new government," Toshinori pointed out while trying to think how to activate Alexa. He glanced at the other League members. They were still patient. Dabi was near the speaker.

"True," Imoku conceded, "but the budget doesn't lie. All Mirio would do is add confusion, and government, from any party, is confused enough."

The former number one hero didn't react to the joke. He had translated the political speak and was happy. If Imoku said Mirio would do nothing, then there was a good chance he could actually affect real change. They weren't going about this the wrong way. Toshinori sobered quickly. He might know that, but he had to somehow tell the others. Maybe he should just call the device?

"I'm not stupid," Kakurete told him coldly. "Your house is currently disconnected," he added.

Toshinori looked at the Representative sharply.

"You were about to call for Alexa," Imoku told him. The man fished in one pocket and pulled out a small device. Yagi didn't recognise it but there was a blinking light on it, and he could easily deduce was it was meant to do. Yet another support item being corrupted for a use it was probably not intended for. "Allowing the public to use support devices means there's so many _useful_ toys available. Alexa is disabled, at the moment. I don't want this on record, just as my last visit to All For One wasn't on the record."

"All For One wasn't allowed visitors," Yagi replied, almost on autopilot. What did he do now? How did he get word out?

"Someone had to visit Sensei," Imoku countered.

It was that, more than anything else, the use of the word _Sensei_ to name the greatest criminal of all time, that convinced Toshinori that Imoku was… was everything they suspected.

"Did I hurt you that much?" All Might asked, regret lacing his question.

Imoku stared at him, his green eyes hard. Toshinori watched him tremble. "Yes," he said finally through clenched teeth.

The former number one hero noted that both Dabi and Spinner looked slightly confused. Interested but confused. Kurogiri's expression really couldn't be seen but the warp villain had an air about him that said he understood. The Noumu didn't care and there was a chuckle from behind him. "You hurt Izu!" Toga whispered in his ear. He didn't jump.

Toshinori took a deep breath and leaned forward. He put his hands on the coffee table and bowed. "I am sorry," he said.

The League was surprised.

Yagi looked up as Imoku's head jerked back.

"It's too late," the Representative told him. The man swallowed hard, but the former number one hero knew that the matter had just been dismissed. Imoku, Izuku, whoever he thought of himself, would not change his mind.

Toshinori nodded as he sat back up. He expected that answer, but he had to try. "You won't get away with this," he said. There had to be some way of letting Sir Nighteye know what happened here.

"Why not?" Imoku asked. He seemed genuinely curious.

Yagi was surprised at how calm he felt. He raised one hand, pointing at the acknowledged villains who were standing in his lounge. "They will all leave evidence," he explained. Dabi would leave burns, Toga blood, Kurogiri even more blood, Spinner used knives and High End would pummel him to death if allowed, leaving a lot of evidence.

The Representative chuckled. "The coroner's report will be that you suffered cardiac arrest," he told him. "There will be no evidence of foul play."

The former number one hero just shook his head.

Imoku smiled at him. "I'd say 'let's see' but you won't be around to see, so I would ask you to trust me, and take my word for it."

At the word trust, Yagi felt a pull, as if he _should_ trust Imoku. He quickly suppressed the feeling. Where had that come from? Then he glared. There was only one place it could have come from. "You-" He wasn't sure how to explain what he had felt.

"Ah, I'm losing my touch," Kakurete murmured deprecatingly, though Toshinori knew the villain had meant to be caught. "Aizawa is a very intelligent man," he added.

The statement lost Yagi for a moment and then he remembered the first time he had met Kakurete. It had been in the politician's office, with Aizawa. The underground hero had accused Imoku of having an undocumented second quirk. If what Yagi had felt was from a quirk, and it appeared Imoku was admitting to it, then Aizawa had been correct. He tried to remember if Shouta had known about All For One's ability to give and take quirks at that point, but it was more than ten years ago. Aizawa knew of it now, but he just couldn't remember if the other hero had known then.

"You don't agree?" Imoku prompted when the silence stretched between them.

Toshinori realised it didn't matter what Aizawa did or didn't know back then. "He is," he agreed instead. Now he felt fear. It wasn't for himself. He still wasn't afraid of what would happen but he was scared for the world. He didn't overestimate his ability to change it but with someone like Kakurete in charge, then… what hope was there?

"What do you actually want?" Yagi asked. "What do any of you want?" He pressed, looking around at the League members. "Through him, you have gotten what you want," he added, jerking his head towards Imoku.

Dabi snorted. Spinner shook his head. "Fight!" High End said.

"You are quite correct, All Might," Kurogiri told him. "With the abolishment of the old Enabling Heroes Act by the Heroes Must Be Heroes Bill and the Reintegration Bills, what the League wanted was mostly achieved. Yet you sit there, knowing the benefits, and after seeing the hypocrisy of heroes destroyed, you would still bring it all back. That is what the League will prevent."

That was mostly true but there gaps in what the warp villain was saying. "Not everything," Yagi tried to justify it. "I wouldn't bring back everything. The Heroes Must Be Heroes Bill has some very good aspects," he said before placing his hands beside him on the couch. It was a long shot but maybe he could scratch something into the leather.

He hoped.

"Thank you," Imoku murmured, though he knew the Representative was being facetious. As the instigator of the Heroes Must Be Heroes Bill, he could take credit for the good parts, even if most of it was bad.

Toshinori ignored that as he continued, trying to make the movement of his hands normal as he dug his short nails in. "But it went too far. It destroyed a lot of lives and ignored the good that heroes were doing."

"What?" Dabi scoffed. "So just because my dad saved a lot of lives, more than you," the fire villain pointed out, because that was the truth. Endeavor had a higher clearance rate than him. "I should have just put up with him beating the shit out of me?"

"Of course not," Toshinori objected. "Endeavor was-" He stopped.

Imoku was giving him a gentle smile.

Toshinori knew the Representative could probably list every failing of every hero. There was little point in arguing on their terms. "Kamui Woods did not deserve to die," he pointed out instead, looking at Dabi.

The fire villain's expression stretched into a smile. "Tomura was more impetuous," he told the former number one hero.

"Tomura was necessary for providing the atmosphere in which the seed of change could flourish," Imoku elaborated. "And, hands up please," he added, lifting one arm and gesturing with his fingers.

The League stiffened. Yagi thought he heard a knife being drawn behind him but he obeyed, lifting his hands in a gesture of peace.

"Check it," Kakurete ordered, his green eyes hard.

Toga leaned over beside him, her face twisted into a smile. She balanced on the back of the couch, looking down at where his hands had been. "There's a mark, but it's nothing," she reported.

"Good," Imoku said. He seemed relieved. Toshinori knew that meant the politician was aware he couldn't control everything and that he was still fighting. "I should have expected you to continue to try," he said and the smile he gave Yagi was warm. "But what did you tell me? That it was useless to try unless you were suited? So let me tell you, there is no way out of this, and you will leave no warning."

Even though there was no one here to reassure, Toshinori smiled at the Representative. "I didn't give in to _him_. I will not give in to you."

"I don't expect you to give in," Imoku shook his head. "I expect you to die."

"Which will just give Mirio more support," Yagi predicted.

"If you were murdered, yes, but I already told you, the coroner will say it was cardiac arrest. You are not old, but Sensei has left his mark upon you," Imoku said, looking significantly at his abdomen.

Toshinori didn't react. He wanted to place one hand on what was left of his stomach. He hadn't coughed up blood for the last few years, after the last operation but the damage was done. He was still weak.

"Sensei always warned me about you, about One For All, but I guess, now that you don't have it, you aren't that much of a threat."

Yagi glared.

"Oh, don't be like that," Imoku mocked. "You're a figurehead at the moment. You are meant to be a distraction for me from the snooping Aizawa and Sir Nighteye are doing."

Toshinori froze. They had assured him they were being careful but… If the Representative knew about them, then would they have a similar visit?

"Did you think I was unaware of that?" Imoku asked at his expression.

"I believe All Might is concerned that you will visit them as well, Imoku Kakurete," Kurogiri informed the politician.

"Ah," Imoku nodded. "That depends on what they find," he said lightly.

Yagi didn't relax.

Kakurete chuckled. "Eraser Head has been looking into me for more than ten years, and hasn't found anything," he told Toshinori. "Given that record, I doubt you have anything to fear about him." There was a real note of comfort in the politicians voice.

Toshinori felt sick to hear it. It reminded him far too much of All For One. The man could feign any emotion, while truly feeling nothing. Was Imoku like that? The child Izuku had been so open. He wanted to apologise again. He wanted to explain. But he knew that Kakurete was already too far gone.

"As for Sir Nighteye, government contracts do carry risk," Imoku said coolly.

Yagi knew the Representative wasn't referring to his risk. He felt a flash of cold and wondered what Sir Nighteye had requested. Then he reminded himself forcefully that his former sidekick had investigated All For One without being caught. If he could do that, he would not fall to one of All For One's apprentices.

The green eyed man looked over at him. "Now, if you don't have any questions, we should get this over with," he said matter of factly.

Toshinori fixed his eyes on Imoku's. "Is this really what you want, Izuku?"

The Representative didn't even blink at the use of the name. Dabi and Spinner weren't as restrained. It was interesting that they didn't appear to know. Yagi paid them no mind.

A slow smile spread over Imoku's face and the former number one hero wondered if he was thinking about the past.

"All I ever wanted was for someone to tell me yes," he whispered. "For just one person, to say 'yes, you can be a hero, Izuku'," Imoku said. "My doctor told me I couldn't. My mother told me I couldn't. Those I once called friends told me I couldn't. My teachers told me I couldn't. Everyone who knew I didn't have a quirk told me I couldn't but I continued to believe that I could. I studied hard. I made notes. I came up with strategies. I examined quirks until I knew them better than their users. I learned to read people but no matter what I did, it was never enough. I didn't want to be the number one hero, I just wanted to be a hero.

"Everyone still said I couldn't. 'Izuku, you can't be a hero without a quirk'," Imoku mimed in a high pitched voice.

Toshinori felt the cold seeping into him at the words. He had been the straw.

"Until you," the Representative continued mercilessly. He swallowed again. "I held out the hope that the one person who routinely did the impossible, who was the personification of hope, would tell me that it wasn't impossible, that I could be a hero without a quirk.

"And what did you say?" Imoku asked, cocking his head slightly as he gave the former number one hero a cold smile. He didn't wait for an answer. "That I should keep my dreams realistic." The words were heavy.

Yagi mouthed the words as Imoku spoke. The motion wasn't lost on Dabi and Spinner. With that motion they knew Imoku was speaking the truth. Maybe they would be the ones who acted? Except it wouldn't be here. It wouldn't be now. He wasn't resigned to his fate but he could see no other alternatives, and somehow he'd known that he would go out in a battle against All For One.

The man himself wasn't here, but his spirit was. It looked to him in the hate filled eyes of the Representative.

"So, I did," Kakurete continued, his voice now lightening. "Sensei offered me an alternative, and I took it. And you know, this way, I've saved more people than you ever have."

"What?" Yagi couldn't help but demand the explanation, no matter what was hanging over him.

"I have saved more people than you ever have," Kakurete repeated. "Every single want to be hero, who the Assessment's picked up. How many of them did I save from a premature death when they got into something they weren't prepared to handle? How many Endeavor's have I prevented by banning those who are only in it for personal gain? How many deaths have I prevented when a hero engaged a so called villain without consideration for the surrounding people? How many now benefit because the police have the quirk training they need to be effective, rather than having quirk restrictions applied because only heroes can use their quirks? How many have been saved from disasters by the rescue forces who are now free to act as best as they can?"

Imoku stopped, breathing heavily. "I could go on," he said. "But I think you get the point."

Spinner nodded. "Stain would approve," he murmured.

This could be the opportunity he needed. The reptilian villain looked at him. He was dressed in body armor with black pants and boots. A sword hilt poked over his left shoulder, and he had a red scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. A white bandana over his eyes completed the look. He was still following Stain's ideal, and Stain's ideal hero was All Might.

Yagi saw the life line. "Would he approve of this?" He managed to keep the sharp tone from his voice.

The green villain was silent. Toshinori kept his eyes on Spinner. The others didn't move and the silence stretched.

The villain sighed. "I was hoping you'd be wrong, Imoku," he told the Representative with a voice full of regret.

Imoku turned to the League member. "I'm sorry, Spinner." He even sounded genuine.

"What?" Toshinori asked. He didn't understand.

The Representative turned back to him. "I warned Spinner you would appeal to Stain, though I am surprised it took you so long." Imoku was derisive.

Yagi dived forward. He had no illusions about his chances of victory. He couldn't win, but Imoku had said the coroner would say his death was caused by a heart attack. That meant he had some way of killing him without leaving a mark. If he could get one of the other villains to mark him, then Sir Nighteye would know.

None of the villains moved.

Imoku raised one hand. Sparks danced between his fingers and Toshinori felt pain in his chest. His hands slammed down on the coffee table to support himself. He gasped for air and struggled back, to the couch so he was sitting. Yagi's hands clutched at his breast. It hurt.

No! He struggled upwards again.

Imoku cocked his head, and the sparks seemed to intensify. All Might recognised what was happening. The Representative was using his registered quirk. Nothing like this was registered about it but it made sense. He could control sparks. The right type of spark was electrical current.

It took a villainous mind to think of this application.

Yagi managed to get to his feet. He was used to pain. He had dealt with it when fighting All For One and he could deal with it now. The problem was his eyes were unfocusing and he could hear a rushing in his ears. He staggered forwards, slamming his shins into the table.

His limbs were heavy. He couldn't lift them but he had to try. Raising his foot to attempt to get to Imoku was his downfall. Toshinori felt his balance leave him and even though breathing was hard he windmilled his arms as he tried to stay upright. It didn't help. He crashed into the ground.

Pain shot through him and Yagi lay on the ground, still struggling to breathe. Tears streamed from his eyes and as his vision narrowed, Toshinori saw the expensive shoes of Imoku walk up to him. He couldn't move, or he'd try to grip the Representative's pant leg. He had to do something. The floor smelt clean.

Toshinori convulsed, trying to breathe.

"Izu, be careful," he heard, and somehow knew that Toga was supporting Imoku.

The Representative sniffed. "That takes a lot out of me," he admitted. It was not a comfort that killing someone with his quirk took effort.

Yagi wanted to scream that he wasn't dead, that Imoku had failed, but his voice abandoned him. His breath rasped and he couldn't see anything. The world had gone black but he was still here.

"We should go." That was Dabi.

"We should," Imoku said, sounding laboured. "But first, good bye Toshinori Yagi. Say hello to Tomur- Ah, it was Tenko, wasn't it? Say hello to him for me, would you? And Sensei. Tell them, I won't let their work go to waste."

Toshinori wanted to deny it but now there was a light approaching and nothing hurt anymore.

He breathed in, and out.

And knew peace.

 **-afop-**

At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations and no regrets.

I might stretch the no explanation part.


	29. Part 2: Chapter 11

**Part 2: Chapter 11**

Sir Nighteye sat on his couch as he watched the broadcast. His eyes were on one man. Kakurete.

All Might, Toshinori Yagi might have retired, and the title of Hero might have been disbanded, but the country still honoured him. In the last session of Parliament before the election, the Prime Minister Kiyoshi Takenaka had declared a minute of silence to mark the occasion of Toshinori's death.

Yagi had been found by one of the people who helped to maintain his house. An ambulance, with a quirk user paramedic had been called, but it was too late. He had suffered a massive heart attack, sometime the night before. He'd obviously felt it, because he'd fallen, and Sir Nighteye had read the police report. All Might had been reaching out for something when he'd fallen. His phone. Yagi had left his phone in his jacket pocket, and his jacket had been hanging up on the rack.

According to the Police, there was no sign of foul play. Sir Nighteye wasn't sure. Toshinori wasn't that old but he was, and had been, ill for many years. Well, not so much ill, as injured. Retirement had helped, but the battles against All For One had left their scars. Given Sir Nighteye's visions, Toshinori had done well to live as long as he had.

But All Might's former sidekick couldn't help the feeling that something was wrong. The timing was just too fortuitous for Kakurete. Mirio had been making a come back in the polls with Toshinori's support, and now he was dead.

Except, Sir Nighteye had checked. Every member of the League he could find had been exactly where they were meant to be at the time of Toshi's death. And if the League was going to kill All Might, they wouldn't have let underlings do it. Spinner was up in Sapporo. Toga was in Miyazaki. Kurogiri in Kyoto and Dabi was in Tokyo but he had definitely been in one of the holes he used to hide from society. Besides, if any of them had killed Toshi, there would have been evidence.

Imoku was having dinner with his frail mother. The woman had a few stints in a private hospital recently. He'd tried to get the records, as an insight into Kakurete but they had good security. Unlike BioSimip.

Sir Nighteye looked at the screen. Imoku Kakurete was standing with the rest of the House of Representatives and had his head bowed. He was the very picture of respect. The former sidekick knew it was false. Underneath that saddened mask there was a smug smile. And soon enough, he'd prove it.

BioSimip, with their QERI contract with the government, had to give up various records on request. He had made a request and the records had been forwarded to him in good time. At least, those in charge of that at BioSimip knew how to do their job. He hadn't read through them yet. Instead, he'd managed to find a disgruntled employee from BioSimip. The man was a pharmaceutical chemist and for some reason he was pissed at what they were doing. Pissed enough that he would break contract and speak to him.

Sir Nighteye had agreed to ensure that man's grievances were taken care of, and given that they were with BioSimip, that was likely to be a relatively easy job. Heroes might have had to integrate but he still had contacts, and if BioSimip were breaking the law, then that had to be dealt with. No matter what contracts they had.

That meeting was tomorrow. In the meantime, he had been investigating Toshi's death and reading online articles about Kakurete. They hadn't been able to find information about him legitimately, so for the moment, hearsay and speculation were potential resources. There was some truth in hearsay. The trick was finding it. Because Imoku Kakurete had appeared on the scene so suddenly, to take over the running of Kunshu and then becoming a Representative, they weren't the only ones who had looked into his past. Most of the others had found the information Sir Nighteye was sure had been planted and left it at that. Why wouldn't they? They were only looking to know the man better, they weren't looking to bring him down. Others had added speculation as to his motives. That was what Sir Nighteye was reading.

The most interesting one was by someone who appeared to have an interest in psychology. They had written about Imoku's policies towards those who were quirkless. That was possibly the one good thing Imoku had done.

After Eraser Head's accusation, Sir Nighteye had researched what it was like to be born quirkless. He hadn't liked what he'd lucky few were supported by their parents, and by understanding individuals. Most were ostracized. There were even cases of quirkless individuals feigning having some minor quirk to be accepted. Once the lie was detected, it did not end well, and several had been murdered by their outraged friends. Of all groups of society, they had the lowest education, and the highest rate of suicide. Feeding in from the lack of education was the lack of jobs. The quirkless formed the dregs of society, unless they were very, very lucky.

Imoku had changed that. Not completely. He couldn't do it all by himself but he had definitely highlighted their plight and had made steps towards alleviating the worst of the problems. He offered employment, education and respect. And across the country most quirkless people would vote for Imoku, if they could. Those who did not live in his electorate lamented the fact, but they took their cues from him. If he supported a candidate, then that candidate had their vote. Within his electorate, close to 80% of those who were quirkless and of voting age said in polls that they would vote for him. That might only represent 16% of the electorate, at best, but others, those with less useful quirks also liked his message. Those with useful quirks liked it as well. He was a very popular man. And since Imoku had risen to power, many, many quirkless people had moved into his electorate. There was a reason he was considered practically unbeatable in his electorate because in his electorate, he had more volunteers, to help get his message across, than any other candidate.

But that was just the fall out of his decisions. What Sir Nighteye was interested in was why he had made the decision in the first place. How had Imoku, who had the quirk Spark, seen the plight of the quirkless? That very question lent credence to Bakugou's theory that Imoku Kakurete was actually Izuku Midoriya, a young man who was quirkless.

Which is sort of what this online commentator was saying, in a roundabout way. They were implying that the way Imoku Kakurete dealt with Quirks was reminiscent of someone who was quirkless. It was an interesting conclusion and quite an odd one to make given the public history on Kakurete. Sir Nighteye was interested in speaking with the author to see if they could shed any further light on Imoku's reactions. Maybe there was something they could use there, in conjunction with the other evidence. There had to be a smoking gun somewhere.

He looked back at the screen. Imoku was sitting again, with the rest of the government. He had on a grey suit with a black arm band for this occasion. The state funeral was tomorrow. Imoku wasn't going to be there. Sir Nighteye wasn't sure what he thought of that. On one hand he was thankful, but on the other, it would have given him an opportunity to look the Representative in the eye and judge him. He'd never had that chance but without Imoku, tomorrow would be a chance for Mirio to shine.

If he was right, and Toshinori had been killed for his support of Mirio, then it was up to them to make sure that it was in vain. Yagi would want that. They needed that. Mirio was known as Toshinori's friend, and as a fellow Ex-Hero, he was going to be front and centre during the funeral. So would he. Sir Nighteye knew he'd have to be more visible in Mirio's campaign now. Toshinori's support had been giving Mirio a boost. As All Might's only sidekick, Sir Nighteye could hope that his presence would also provide a boost.

And with enough boosts, Mirio would win a place in the House of Representatives, and they could start to directly fight Imoku Kakurete.

He clicked the screen off. Kakurete was not going to give any visual clues.

"Oh, I was watching that!"

Sir Nighteye spun to stare at the speaker. "You!" he identified the woman who was grinning at him. Himiko Toga.

She frowned at him but continued to tap a knife against her leg.

He reviewed what he knew of her. Her quirk was shape shifting which didn't give her any special fighting abilities, just as his hadn't. He could take her. He just had to be wary of the knife. Over the years he had kept in practice, and he was pretty sure she hadn't. She could take people by surprise but Toga had never been known for her fighting ability.

"Why are you here?" He asked. It was obvious why she was here, but the way she phrased any reply would tell him a lot.

She grinned at him. "Izu said not to bother with you," Himiko told him.

"Wait… Izu? As in Izuku?" Sir Nighteye couldn't help but interrupt.

"I'm not meant to call him that," the League of Villain's member said almost timidly.

"It's okay. I know who he is," Sir Nighteye said soothingly. He never thought he'd ever use that tone of voice when speaking to the League. But he filed the information away for further use. If Himiko knew Imoku was Izuku then maybe the League would be their way of bringing him down.

Himiko gave him another smile. It was almost as if she was saying thank you. "Izu said not to bother with you," she repeated. "But since he took out All Might, it's better that we get the whole team," she added.

The words struck his heart. It confirmed what he suspected but what the Police assured him had not happened. The League had killed Toshinori. And they had done it in such a way that the world was not even looking at them.

"Why?" He asked. The question probably wasn't what she was expecting.

"Because you are getting too close to Izu!"

"No," Sir Nighteye shook his head. His phone was on the table in front of him. He couldn't reach it without her noticing. She had answered the obvious why, but that wasn't what he meant. "Why does the League not want to be known as the killers of All Might?" he clarified.

Himiko shook her head, but her eyes never left him. "Why would Izu want to be known as the killer of an old man?" she mocked with the question.

He was surprised by her answer. It made sense, but beyond that, there was an implication there. "He's going to make himself known?" he asked.

"Of course not!" Toga giggled. "Izu is the hidden one!" She added.

Sir Nighteye froze. His mind was no longer in his lounge. It was in the past. It was on the moment he lost his quirk. In that single instant, he'd had a vision so strong, so vivid that he could only remember one thing from it. The hidden one. The unseen enemy who was controlling everything.

He'd warned Mirio about it then. He'd warned Centipeder, he'd warned Toshinori but they had never found anything to really prove it. Over the years he had seen the similarity between Imoku's name and his vision but over the years, the stark intensity of his vision had been lost in the reality of losing his quirk. It came back now at full force.

He could see everything again. The hidden one. This time, his vision was of a chess board. There was a shadowy figure sitting on the black side. They were moving the pieces. Sir Nighteye looked to the white side and his eyes widened. The seat was empty. The shadowy figure was moving both the white and black pieces.

When he had seen this vision the first time, he had thought the figure was All For One, given that the black queen had been wreathed in shadow. That had been the hidden one, except All For One was dead. His vision had changed. He still couldn't see the figure sitting there clearly but he could see the pieces clearly.

Katsuki was the white queen. Mirio the King. Aizawa was still on the board, as was Hizashi. They were Castles. He was still there too, a bishop but he was riding a horse! Was he a knight or a bishop? He wasn't sure. To the side of the board, fallen was Midnight. She was a Knight. Her armor was cracked. Her horse was dead. All Might was there as well. The broken mitre of a bishop was beside him.

Sir Nighteye focused on the other side. The black pieces. It wasn't much comfort that more appeared to be at the side of the board. Twice was a fallen Knight and both the castles were shattered. He recognised Mustard and Ujiko. Tomura was there as well. Except that left some powerful pieces still there. Both bishops, Spinner and Kurogiri were there, as was Dabi as King and Toga as Queen.

In the instant of his vision, Sir Nighteye saw the shadowy being reach out and he flicked his finger at the black King. Dabi fell and the being grinned at him.

And then everything ended. Sir Nighteye gasped as he returned to his living room. He blinked to see Toga there, and then his memory caught up.

"Izuku is the leader of the League," he said clearly, wishing for nothing more than to be able to close his eyes and think. He couldn't with her here.

"He's such a good leader," Toga told him. "He doesn't ask for much. He makes sure we are making money, so it's up to us to make sure he gets some rewards every now and then."

"I'm a reward?" Sir Nighteye asked.

"For Izu," she grinned. It was not a nice grin. He wondered if the woman could smile nicely. "Now, hold still, this will be easier if you don't move!" She flipped the knife and lunged at him.

He was ready for her movement, and dodged to the side. The knife went straight into his couch, giving Sir Nighteye time to rise. He kicked at Toga but she was quick, and abandoned the blade to jump back. Another knife appeared in her hands. Since she still wore a high school uniform, Sir Nighteye wondered how she concealed them, and how many she was carrying. They were not strapped to her legs so it had to be on her torso.

He grabbed at the knife in his couch but it was stuck. It had probably hit the wooden frame. He didn't waste time after giving it a tentative tug.

Toga felt into a battle stance. He was surprised. He didn't think she knew how to fight. Not properly. He had been trained, and his reach was long. He felt into his own stance, and feinted towards her, sending a punch towards her abdomen. Himiko hissed and flipped her knife so that it was against her forearm as she dodged.

She swung at him, slashing her knife. It caught the edge of his shirt but didn't touch his skin. Sir Nighteye used the moment to get around the couch. It gave him more space to move in. He kicked, Toga raised her knifeless arm to block but he was stronger. It pushed her off balance. The woman flailed and staggered but in the time it took him to regain his balance, Toga had regained hers. She no longer looked amused.

Sir Nighteye attacked again. Toga leapt back, trying to get out of range. He'd seen the footage of her from Ujiko's execution. She had throwing knives somewhere. He kept the distance close. Her preference was close combat but he had to be better than her. Over the years, she had obviously added the throwing knives to give herself some versatility. He wasn't going to be so stupid as to try to take them out midair. Better to never let them be thrown.

Himiko slashed again with her knife and Sir Nighteye caught the glint of steel. He lunged into the swipe, catching her hand. He tried to wrench the knife from her hold. Toga retaliated by lifting her arms and pulling back from him. Sir Nighteye went with her. He was taller and stronger. The stretch put her at risk, not him. He got one hand on the hilt and then there was a pain in his stomach.

Instinct made him look down. Toga pulled her hand back, a short blade covered in blood held within it. Sir Nighteye pulled back, taking the knife with him. He wanted to throw it away but it was a weapon. Himiko tried to push her advantage. He slashed his newly won knife, and felt it catch on her cardigan.

She hissed. "Not nice!" She growled.

He'd drawn blood. Sir Nighteye flicked the knife into roughly the same hold she had taken, pushing it up against his forearm. It was a hunting knife with a long blade on one side and cerations on the other. He slashed it at her again. Toga was wary and was out of range. She countered with a smaller knife but he avoided it.

"I didn't want to do it this way, you know," she told him.

"You don't have to do this," he snapped back. "You could just surrender."

She bared her teeth at him, her canines catching on her lip. "I meant to ask Mustard to come help," Toga told him.

Sir Nighteye immediately knew her plan. It would have worked. Mustard could have filled his room with gas, and he would have fallen asleep. At that point, she'd have cut his throat and there was nothing he could have done to stop her. His mind flashed to several unsolved murder cases. They'd done that before.

"That bastard ExplodoKill killed him… but at least Dabi got the bitch," she added.

It was an obvious attempt to rile him up. Sir Nighteye didn't react. Midnight knew what she was getting into. Blood seeped into Toga's cardigan but he could tell the wound was sluggish. It wasn't going to be fatal.

He slashed again. He was surprised when this time she didn't dodge. Instead she met his slash and there was the ring of steel against steel. She had one of her throwing knives in her hand. He slashed again and caught her arm. Himiko cried out, dropping the smaller knife, and Sir Nighteye quickly kicked it away.

She pulled a new one from somewhere and he noted that she was using her other arm. Sir Nighteye examined the League member. The slash on her arm was deeper than he thought. Her knives were sharp.

"That's not nice!" She growled again and her eyes hardened.

She moved quick. He dodged but cried out as something hit his abdomen again. He looked down. There was a knife there. She'd thrown it, with the arm that was cut. The knife had blood on the handle.

Himiko closed with him. She slashed hard. Sir Nighteye tried to block. Toga was stronger than she looked, and she followed up the slash with a kick.

He cried out. The knife was driven further into his guts and he fell to his knees. His mind screamed at him to move. He slashed out blindly with the knife. She avoided it and kicked again. He lost the knife. Sir Nighteye rolled, trying to avoid further attacks. He heard more knives. They hit the floor and him. He heard them thunk into his body and pain radiated outwards.

Sir Nighteye tasted blood. He spat it to the floor and rolled again as Himiko tried to finish the job. He wasn't going to go down that easy. Before he could rise she jumped on him, straddling his body. Toga sat on his stomach, her legs hooked over his arms, pinning them to his side. He couldn't breath with her weight there. Sir Nighteye tried to buck her off, but Himiko wasn't light.

"You're heavy!" He growled, hoping to make her angry.

It worked but not the way he wanted. She hit him, and drove another knife into his chest. He could feel blood pooling in his lungs. The taste of it filled his mouth.

Sir Nighteye looked up. Himiko smiled down at him. Her arm was bleeding, as was the cut to her side. "Now you won't be in Izu's way!"

"He won't be happy," he managed to say. If this wasn't a sanctioned hit then there was a chance he could talk her out of it. A slim change but one nevertheless.

Himiko shook her head and then she raised her small knife above her head, clasping it in both hands. She slammed it down, hitting the left side of his chest. Sir Nighteye felt his ribs crack under the pressure and blood spewed from his mouth.

"You don't look pretty," Toga told him, as she got up.

He didn't try to stop her. He watched, trying to gasp for air as Himiko fetched the knife he'd managed to get off her. She looked down at him and he felt it cut into his thigh. She pulled it back and Sir Nighteye watched as Himiko licked at the blood.

Then her features melted. Her whole body melted.

It was more than disconcerting to see his face looking at him, to see her smile on his features.

"Just die for Izu," Himiko said with his voice and then she turned away.

He gasped for air, choking on blood but Sir Nighteye wasn't dead yet. He had to tell someone. He had to…

He pushed himself over, trying not to scream at the pain. If he screamed Himiko would know he wasn't dead. Sir Nighteye dragged himself towards the coffee table. His phone was there. Blood made a trail behind him. He didn't look, and as soon as he could he reached for his phone. It was a fumble but he managed to get his fingers on it.

Everything hurt and his vision was failing him. That wasn't good. He knew what that meant. Had Toshinori gone through this as well?

Sir Nighteye spat blood and hit dial on his phone. The last number called was Mirio. He had to tell the current holder of One For All that the League was still there. That Kakurete was everything they feared.

"Hello? Sir?"

Mirio's voice washed over him.

"Sir?" The younger man repeated.

Sir Nighteye tried to speak. His mouth moved. No sound came out. He swallowed more blood. "Mirio," he managed to whisper. "Mirio," he said again. "You have to…" He had to stop. There was no air in his lungs.

"Sir!" There was no hiding the frantic tone of Mirio's voice.

"You have to…" Sir Nighteye gasped, spitting more blood as he dropped the phone. He collapsed next to it. "Kakurete," he managed to say the name. It brought a memory of his vision. "The hidden one," he managed to say.

"Sir!"

"You have to save Da-" he couldn't say anything more.

Sir Nighteye's eyes widened. He tried to say more but all that came out was gasps and gulps. He could see blood pooling under him. Was there really that much blood in his body? Now outside of his body? He tried moving his arm, trying to grab the phone again. He couldn't move.

"Sir!" Mirio screamed.

Sir Nighteye knew the boy would be running here. It would be too late.

It was already too late. The steel had touched his heart. _Save him,_ Sir Nighteye mouthed the words but there was no sound. _Save Dabi._ The words were meaningless but Sir Nighteye knew what they were.

Dabi was the black king and Mirio was the white, but if the black king fell… they all did.

Sir Nighteye felt sick.

And then he felt nothing at all.

-afop-

"How did it happen?" Mirio asked.

He was sitting in the police station, fighting the shakes. Every time he thought of Sir Nighteye he trembled.

"Sir?" The detective asked.

"How did it happen?" Mirio asked again. He really didn't want to know but at the same time, he had to know. How had Sir Nighteye died? Maybe then he'd be able to make sense of the last message.

The detective looked at him sadly. Thankfully the man ignored his bloodied suit. He had been the first one on the scene. He'd tried to save Sir Nighteye but there was so very much blood.

"Security cameras show League member Himiko Toga breaking in," the detective told him.

"And?" Mirio pressed.

"We believe there was an altercation."

That much had been obvious, even to his eyes. There were several throwing knives embedded in the floor. He hadn't seen them then, not until the paramedics had pulled him off Sir. Then he'd been able to see things beyond the huge slick of blood on the floor.

"Security film shows Sir Nighteye walking out of his apartment," the detective continued.

Mirio knew what that meant. So did the police. Toga had taken Sir Nighteye's form and simply walked out of the building. It was no consolation that she appeared to be limping. Not badly though, and not enough to cause a scene.

Then she had disappeared into the crowds.

"We believe he injured her," the detective told him, "and are watching the hospitals."

Mirio didn't say anything. He already knew, that even if injured, Toga wouldn't show up at a hospital. As far as they knew the League didn't have a dedicated healer but they had enough resources to be able to call in a doctor on the quiet. She wouldn't be caught that way, no matter the injuries.

The only hope there was if the injury was worse than they thought. Then she might show up dead.

Logic told him her injuries couldn't be that bad. She had walked out of there. Sir Nighteye hadn't. He'd dragged himself across the floor. He'd been in so much pain.

He'd been in so much pain but he had still tried to warn Mirio. Kakurete was the Hidden One. Mirio still remembered the day that Sir Nighteye had lost his quirk. He remembered the desperate words to beware of the hidden one… and what had he done? What had any of them done?

Nothing.

They had let Kakurete consolidate power. They had let Kakurete pass the bills that had lead to the reintegration of heroes. They had let everything break apart.

But Sir had said something more this time. He had said something about saving… Mirio had no idea what his former boss meant. "You have to save Da." That was all he had managed to say. The meaning was clear but the context wasn't. Who or what was Da? Was it short for Dad? But who did that mean? Who would Sir Nighteye call Da? His father had died many years ago. There was no one obvious.

Mirio had racked his brains for other meanings. He tried to think of anyone's name that began with 'da'. It wasn't Aizawa, it wasn't Bakugou, it wasn't Hizashi. It wasn't anyone who he could think of. There was a Dashu on his support staff but Mirio couldn't think of any reason why he would have to save Dashu!

It made no sense, and what made it frustrating was that to Sir Nighteye's dying mind, it had been the one thing he had tried to say. Mirio felt like he'd failed because he didn't understand the warning.

He planned to ask Aizawa and the others to know if they had any thoughts. He'd do that later, after he finished here.

"Let me know anything?" He asked.

"Of course, Sir," came the reply. "There is also going to be a police presence at your apartment," the detective added.

"Is that necessary?" Mirio objected on reflex.

The detective didn't answer. He didn't have to. The League had invaded Sir Nighteye's home, they could be preparing to invade others, especially those who were associated with Sir Nighteye. He was the strongest associated. While All Might had been supporting his campaign, Sir Nighteye had been planning on taking his place.

Now… Mirio didn't know who would. He knew he had to capitalise on what happened but it felt cheap. It felt wrong but… He would have to do it if he wanted to win. And in order to take out the League he was going to have to fight… And that meant winning.

"Thank you," Mirio told the detective before he took a deep breath.

He was out of his depth now and he felt adrift. But for Sir and All Might, he'd have to cope. Just tomorrow.

He'd do that tomorrow.

-afop-

Izuku sat in Dabi's private office. The room was luxuriously appointed. One wall was a full, floor to ceiling window with one way glass. It overlooked the fighting ring. There was no one there at the moment but Izuku knew what the place was like when there was a battle. He had seen several championship fights.

He snorted at the thought. Championship fights implied that those who fought had a chance. Against High End the challengers died. Still, some of them put up a good effort, and the Noumu knew he was the champion of the ring. He knew that only those who had fought through the contenders got to fight him, so he accepted that they were weaker than him but that they were the best available fight.

He looked away from the glass to Toga. She'd been naughty, which was why he was here, not his own office. Being here allowed her to be in her true form.

"Why did you take out Sir Nighteye?" Imoku asked her.

Himiko was sitting in a chair. Her arm was bandaged and he knew she had a bandage around her waist. He'd cut her twice. She'd won but… He didn't like to see his servants hurt. He preferred it if things were planned better.

"Because he was investigating you!" Toga replied.

"He wasn't getting anywhere," Imoku pointed out.

"But he might have," she objected.

Izuku couldn't really say anything much to that. He might have found something. "Himiko," he said her name softly. "Why did you go alone?"

She looked at him with a confused expression, though Izuku knew it was false. She knew what he was asking. Why hadn't she used the training he'd given her over the years to plan the attack. Why was she injured? "Originally I was going to take Mustard but ExplodoKill got him," she admitted. "And none of the others would go."

"I think they would have," he said softly. He could see her plan with Mustard. It was a good one but obviously not something they could do now.

"It was a fight night," Toga explained.

Izuku knew that meant Dabi was occupied. He oversaw the fights. "Kurogiri?" he prompted.

"Was working," she said.

"Spinner?"

"Is up in Sapporo."

Izuku sighed. He could probably name half the League and she'd know where they were, and why they wouldn't help. Instead he pursed his lips before he sighed. "I appreciate the gesture," he admitted. "But I do not need you to be injured," he added.

For a moment Toga looked at the ground and then she grinned at him. "Izu!" She squealed triumphantly.

"Take someone with you, next time."

Himiko nodded and whatever she was about to say died in her throat when the door opened. She jumped up, despite her wounds, prepared to shield him but the door simply revealed High End.

The Noumu gave them both a toothy grin and Imoku waved to it, extending his quirk. "Want to fight!" the Noumu told him.

"Isn't there a fight tonight?" Izuku asked.

"Weakling!" High End complained.

"I heard there is someone good in the lower rankings at the moment," Izuku said. No one got to fight High End straight off. The money from fightings were made from bets, and it would be stupid to just let anyone challenge the Noumu. There were rankings and people had to fight their way through them. That way Dabi made more money.

"Want fight now!" High End added the demand.

"Ah," Izuku sighed as he thought. He rapped his nails on Dabi's desk. The noise let the Noumu know he was thinking.

Despite Sir Nighteye and All Might being dead, Mirio was still out there, and the Candidate, if he knew what he was doing, would play the sympathy card. He might not. Imoku wasn't sure how politically astute the former sidekick was. But he couldn't afford to be complacent. Mirio had Aizawa to advise him and the underground hero was not foolish. Plus Katsuki was still out there, hunting the League.

Izuku had only taken the fight to All Might because it was advantageous. Maybe it was time to battle more directly. Besides, there was a certain balance he wanted, and he hadn't gotten it yet. He'd told All Might he knew about One For All but what he hadn't said then was that he knew who it had been passed to. He didn't need the League acting the way Toga had. It was one of the reasons he had set them against Katsuki. The boy was good at his job, and that was advantageous. If Toga had tried to fight Mirio… the Candidate was stronger than them. They didn't realise it because he'd been forced into therapy as a sidekick and the reintegration bill had passed before he could come back. But with Mirio being supported by both All Might and Sir Nighteye, it was obvious who now held One For All.

He had destroyed All For One, something he had glossed over with the League, so it was time to take out the antipode. Then the world could move on, and the chaos from the beginning of the Quirk Era could be put behind them.

And truly, he would take out Mirio in the election. The boy wouldn't be elected but… to be sure, since there were still those attracted to the romanticism that a hero could save everyone, including the opposition leader, it was probably better if the boy was no longer around. The world no longer needed One For All, the same way as it had outgrown the need for All For One.

He looked at High End. Unlike the first Noumu High End had been created as a general purpose fighting machine. He wasn't specifically designed to take out One For All but the Noumu was powerful. He would be able to inflict a great deal of damage, and if the other Noumu were there then… Yes, that should be doable.

Plus if the fight went on long enough there was a chance Katsuki would be there and that would finish off all the opposition to him nicely. Imoku only had one more task in mind for Bakugou but that was an indulgence, and he could live without it. .

But how to stage a fight for High End with Mirio? It wasn't like Mirio was roaming the streets looking for a battle, not like Bakugou. Mirio was campaigning for the House of Representatives. Though…

"Ah!" Izuku said as he recalled something. Mirio had been the first on scene at Sir Nighteye's apartment. Toga had told him that earlier. He was waiting for more information from his contacts in the Police but it was obvious what had happened. Sir Nighteye had called Mirio, and the boy had run to his old employer. That was the way to get Mirio in.

"I can get you a fight," Izuku told High End.

The Noumu looked at him, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Give me a day or so to figure out where the people will be, so that you can actually fight without being interrupted," he explained.

Most people thought High End was dumb. The Noumu had a limited vocabulary but was actually very intelligent when it came to combat, and things he cared about. He cared about fighting, so anything that was about fighting had to be explained properly. High End would hold you to your explanation but it was possible to reason with the Noumu slightly. No interruptions was something High End understood.

Imoku looked up at him as the Noumu gave him another very toothy grin. "Fight!" the Noumu declared.

"It will be against someone weak, at first," Imoku warned, "but I expect them to call someone stronger. That is your real fight."

If he set High End against Aizawa, then Aizawa would likely call either Bakugou or Mirio. Either would give the Noumu a good fight.

"I tell them to call!" High End announced.

Imoku smiled. "If you'd like," he agreed. It made no difference to him, but he knew the Noumu had come to the conclusion that there was a chance that his opponent wouldn't call for the stronger fighter. High End was not stupid when it came to fighting. "You may kill them all," he added.

High End grinned wider and was happy.

Izuku grinned at him. He hadn't even needed to use his quirk much for that. He thought about the possible outcomes of a battle between High End, and whoever Aizawa called… If it was Mirio, then that would be good. If Katsuki then that was equally acceptable, even if Katsuki died.

He could work with either outcome.

 **-afop-**

One of the key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace, good people don't go into government.

Except Izuku.


	30. Part 2: Chapter 12

**Part 2: Chapter 12**

Aizawa hated funerals, and it seemed as if all he'd been doing lately was attending them. First Midnight had been killed. Then Toshinori had died. That had been a State Funeral. The rigmarole involved in that fiasco had been headache inducing. There had been so many politicians there, all looking for a photo opportunity or something to help their election prospects. It was no way to honour anyone.

Then Sir Nighteye's. At least that had been a smaller affair. People had been able to show their respects but it had also shown him how fragile Mirio was.

It was understandable. The young man had gone through a lot in the last few days, losing both his mentor and the person who had built the society Mirio was meant to be protect. Except that society, Heroes, were gone. At least Mirio didn't blame himself for that. Shouta would never have supported him if Mirio was that stupid. But now they were at a bit of a loss.

All Might had been supporting Mirio on the campaign trail. The retired Hero was on public record as giving the Candidate his blessing. It had lifted Mirio's polls. When he died, Sir Nighteye had stepped in. It had only been for one rally before he was murdered. It suggested that, despite what the Police record said, that All Might had been murdered as well. Except, there was no denying that All Might had been damaged, was the nicest way of putting it. His body was fragile, and a heart attack had been a real possibility for a long time.

It was the timing that was suspicious. At least Mirio knew Sir Nighteye had been looking into Kunshu and Kakurete. Given it was Toga who had murdered him, it was entirely possible he'd found something.

Yet he hadn't told Mirio! No, what the former sidekick had said at the end made no sense. _You have to save Da_ -

Who or what was Da? In order to save it, Aizawa shared the opinion it was probably a who. Which was one of the reasons he was standing here, before Sir Nighteye's grave, trying to gain inspiration. He had a feeling, that in time, they would look back and think it obvious. But Shouta also had a feeling that if it came to that, they'd be looking back from prison if they were lucky, or not looking back at all because Kakurete would have won it all.

There was one ironic answer to the question of who was Da that Aizawa wasn't sure he wanted to think of. Dabi.

Except Dabi was no threat to Kakurete. Assuming everything about Imoku was the truth, the Dabi had been leading the League for Kakurete for the last ten years at least. And with the recent gains Bakugou had made, it made no sense that Imoku would want to remove the one who was still loyal to him. Everything Aizawa had seen indicated that Dabi was loyal. If anything, the villain was in danger from Bakugou but the vigilante didn't want to kill him. Katsuki recognised that a dead Dabi couldn't reveal Kakurete. He wanted to beat the shit out of Dabi, but not kill. Did Sir Nighteye mean they needed to leave Dabi in place?

That's if the Da stood for Dabi.

Aizawa huffed, looking down at the name marker. "Couldn't you have made it clearer?" He muttered. He hated riddles. Couldn't Sir Nighteye left what he knew about Kunshu available to them as well? The files from BioSimip were in his house but nothing was highlighted. Aizawa couldn't even be sure they'd been read. And he knew what that meant. He'd have to do it now.

He turned to go. Even with his known insomnia, he had too much work to do and looking at a gravestone was not bringing inspiration. They'd have to find this Da the old fashioned way, and they'd have to focus on getting Mirio into the House of Representatives. It would be nice to take down Kakurete, and that was the ultimate goal, but he was experienced enough to know that sometimes you couldn't do everything at once.

Aizawa pulled out his phone as he walked.

"Good," the voice startled him. It was gravelly and seemed to come from over his shoulder, but there was no one behind him. "Call the stronger one here," it continued.

Shouta threw himself forward, executing a dive and somersault that would have done anyone half his age proud. He felt several twinges which he couldn't pay attention to as he looked over at the speaker.

It was huge. That was the first thing he noted. Aizawa didn't recognise the jagged teeth or the leering grin but when he saw the exposed brain he had a sinking feeling he knew what it was. This one was hunched over, and he could see layers and layers of muscle covering its neck and shoulders.

"You called stronger one?" The Noumu asked.

Shouta had never heard these things speak. He thought the report the Police had composed years back was that they couldn't but this one was. It's jaws moved with the words, though with teeth like that, it was no wonder the words were malformed. If it could talk, then maybe it understood, maybe he could talk it out of a fight… Not likely but he could get information.

"I'm pretty strong," he replied.

The Noumu cocked its head at him. The shroud of skin moved, but never truly fell away from its head. Aizawa was thankful for that.

"Twiggy," it announced. "No strength. Like Master."

Shouta knew it was an assessment of his build. He felt vaguely insulted. Still he couldn't deny that comparatively, he was rather slender. Apparently like this thing's Master. He didn't know what to think of that.

"Called stronger one?" It asked again.

"Why would I call someone else?"

"Master said we fight. Master said you weak but you call someone stronger."

Aizawa bit the inside of his lip as he looked at the creature. He still had his phone in hand and he could tell that it had one eye on it. "How about I call them if you tell me who your Master is?" He offered. The Noumu was loyal but it was obviously rather stupid.

The creature cocked its head at him. "Master is Master. Call!" It demanded.

Shouta just looked back, trying to assess what quirks the Noumu had. He couldn't remember much from the report. Accelerated healing was probable. Most of the Noumu's seemed to have that. Strength, even if it just came from the layers of muscle the Noumu had. And this one had at least some intelligence. He couldn't win.

He was realistic in his assessments. He had always had to be, and while he could defeat more opponents than most, he knew his limits. Especially since it had managed to get behind him without him noticing anything. Except… It wanted him to call someone. Did it know who'd he'd call?

Initially Aizawa had thought of Bakugou but the vigilante was still laying low. And if it became known he was involved in a fight with something known to be connected to the League then Aizawa couldn't imagine how that story would be twisted. He wasn't sure if Bakugou could deal with the wall of muscle this thing represented. That left Mirio. These Noumu's had been created to kill All Might, and that meant dealing with One For All. Plus Mirio had a bit more capital to spend if he was caught here.

"Who do you want?" Aizawa asked. Maybe he could get more information?

"Strongest," the Noumu told him without hesitation.

He made some show of typing into his phone. "Do you have more than one Master?" He asked idly.

"Master is Master," the Noumu replied. "Master is new, but Master better."

"New?" Shouta asked.

"Called stronger one?" the Noumu ignored his question.

"One last question," Aizawa countered. The Noumu looked frustrated. "What do others call your Master?" He held out the phone to show the message was ready to send, though he wasn't sure if the creature would understand that or could read. The message was simple.

 _Help. Noumu attack Sir Nighteye's grave_

The Noumu twisted its long neck to look at him. Then it seemed to grin. There were no lips covering the jagged teeth so it was always grinning but somehow it seemed more amused at this. "Boss." It growled at him. "Call stronger, or we fight!"

Aizawa wasn't stupid enough to say he felt no fear. He felt plenty of fear but as an underground hero, he had long ago reconciled himself to the fact that he would get hurt in the course of his career. He felt fear when he acted then, but most of that fear was towards the one he was trying to save. He hoped he'd be strong enough, fast enough, good enough, for their sakes. Fear for himself was less, but was there.

Now, confronted with this thing, Aizawa felt fear. He knew with absolute certainty that it was not going to let him get away, and if he refused to call then it was just going to kill him and walk away. It wouldn't even think twice about it. But it would probably try to do the same to Mirio, or Katsuki and in that singular instant he wasn't sure if either of them could defeat this thing. They were both strong, inhumanly, insanely strong but this thing… He remembered the one from the USJ.

All Might had won, but Mirio wasn't All Might.

There was a flash of movement from the corner of his eye. "Fight!" the creature roared and Aizawa felt himself flung to the side as it swept one huge arm at him.

His phone was jolted from his grip but his thumb swept over the send button, and it beeped.

Aizawa didn't hear it, and didn't care. He crashed into several family markers, going straight through them with the force of the blow. The Noumu snaked its long neck around to track his movement and then it stomped after him, ignoring the grave markers that it destroyed. "You no call, so fight now!" it growled.

Shouta had practice with dealing with stronger opponents. He had been flung into a wall or two in the past. This was worse. He gasped for air, trying to bring as much into his lungs as possible as he rolled from the rubble. He felt groggy. He hurt. But he knew he had to move if he was going to survive. As he moved, he activated his quirk, staring at the Noumu. Nothing changed on it. He didn't expect it to but he wasn't sure if it had any projectile abilities. Thinking this one was the same as the previous would be bad. He had seen enough of them over the years to know that they were all different.

The Noumu didn't stop. "Weak," it told him and Aizawa realised it knew he was attempting to use his quirk on him.

It made him scramble upright all the faster, and then he looked around. He took two steps towards the Noumu, gaining momentum and then jumped over a low gravestone and ran.

He couldn't fight this thing. Being dumb enough to try would probably have killed his younger self. He was older now. Wiser. He knew his limits.

Something hit him in the stomach. Shouta had a brief sense of weightlessness as he was thrown through the air, and then he hit the ground forcefully again. He rolled with the movement, trying to see despite the way the sky and the dirt kept changing places so quickly. It allowed him to see the Noumu. It was just a flash of movement, but it was enough of a warning for Aizawa to brace himself before he was thrown in the other direction.

He tasted blood. If there was ever any thought that he could defeat this creature, it was extinguished. The world flashed around him. The grave stones tumbled around him and Aizawa felt cuts and scratches form on his arms and legs. So much hurt that he couldn't tell if anything was broken.

Aizawa felt nauseous from the continuous movement. It was a shock when he came to a halt. The world still spun for a while, and it took Shouta a moment to realise he was dangling from the creatures huge hand by his head.

"Weak," he growled again. "Even Master stronger!"

Shouta felt bones grind together, bones that were just not meant to grind together as he hung in that grip. He tried to kick, but the Noumu just squeezed his head harder. It was going to kill him. It was going to kill him as easily as he killed an ant and then walk away. He couldn't even scream in pain. All he could manage was a pained groan.

Then everything suddenly felt lighter, even as Aizawa felt his legs crumple as they hit the ground. He lay there for several long moments, not even caring that he was bent like a pretzel as he gasped for air. He realised something must have happened, and groaned* as he moved, rolling over painfully to see what it was.

Once, as an underground hero he had sworn he would never be happy to see All Might coming in on his work. Today, he was grateful that the holder of One For All was here.

Mirio was standing some distance away from him. His arms were raised for combat, and Aizawa noted the marks on the ground which meant the former sidekick had skidded to a halt. The huge Noumu was picking itself up from the ground, shaking its long neck. He could hear it growling to itself and only belatedly realised that it wasn't growling, it was laughing.

"Stronger one." It said finally. "We fight!" It declared before charging.

Mirio didn't get a chance to check on him before the creature was on him. Aizawa scrambled out of the way as stone from the name markers went everywhere. There were a lot of lost souls created today. Shouta felt a shock wave pass over him as their fists met. Mirio wasn't holding back. Shouta was thankful for that. The man had enough maturity to recognise that the Noumu was dangerous and to not hold back, though Aizawa was sure he had not yet shown his true strength.

Aizawa would have tried to give Mirio an advantage but they were moving too fast for him to lock his eyes only on the Noumu.

The initial tussle ended when the Noumu's fist passed through Mirio's chest and the former sidekick jumped back slightly.

"I'm okay!" Aizawa shouted.

Mirio nodded but didn't take his eyes off the creature.

It drew itself up. Mirio was not a small man. This creature was huge. Aizawa hadn't really gotten a good sense for it before. It had been crouched over when it spoke to him. Now it uncoiled. It's arms and shoulders were huge and its neck elongated. It towered over Mirio, looking down at him. It was very oddly proportioned. The arms and shoulders were massive, and while the Noumu's lower body wasn't anything to be scoffed at, comparatively it was smaller.

The Noumu shrugged, and for a moment, Aizawa thought he was looking at things. He shook his head but the vision didn't change. There was suddenly another, smaller Noumu there.

"Report to Master," the larger Noumu ordered.

The smaller one nodded and moved away. Mirio made no move to stop it since the bigger one turned its attention back to him. "You strong," it said.

Mirio did his best to glare back. He hadn't yet perfected All Might's look. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Fight!" the Noumu replied immediately.

"Is that all you want?" Mirio pressed.

"Master said we fight!"

Aizawa hoped Mirio wouldn't press the Noumu about its master. He doubted that the Candidate would have any better luck. Instead he watched the other Noumu. It had backed away but didn't appear to be making any attempt to leave. It was watching. Wasn't it meant to be report? Unless the Master was somewhere close? He cast his eyes around, ignoring the damage to the grave yard. There was no one else here.

"Why?" Mirio asked.

"Want fight!"

Thankfully Mirio also saw the way the Noumu tensed and the former sidekick was ready when one huge arm lashed out. He chose to meet it head one, grunting with effort but it took both his arms. Shouta couldn't do anything as the Noumu's other arm was swung over arm. Mirio phased, vanishing into the ground. The Noumu caught his suit, flinging the material into the ground.

Mirio reappeared behind the Noumu. Thankfully for his modesty his underwear was still on. Aizawa raised on eyebrow, but quickly dropped it when it hurt, as he realised what that meant. He resisted the urge to rub at his own undergarments. The former sidekick slammed both hands into the back of the Noumu's neck.

Or at least he tried to. The creature was fast and it dashed forward. Aizawa thought he heard the sound of jets but he couldn't see anything. The Noumu spun one foot at Mirio. Again he blocked the strike but the Noumu reacted, bringing its other foot around. It balanced by slamming its arms into the ground. Given the way Mirio strained, the creature's legs might look comparatively weak but they weren't.

The test of strength lasted only a few moment, before they both pulled back.

"You strong!" The Noumu was happy. "Master was right!"

Shouta didn't know what to think of that. Master was right. It had implications that were not good. It might only be a simple sentence but it opened many possibilities. It could be nothing. It could be everything. He hated the unknown he always felt when dealing with the League these days.

Before he could think much further, the Noumu swung again. Mirio dodged, vanishing into the ground again. Aizawa had the feeling that this fight would be decided in an instant. He wasn't sure he'd be able to see that instant. Or it would be long and drawn out. He hoped Mirio had the viciousness required for it.

The Noumu was looking for Mirio and as it did, it hunched over again, snaking its neck around as it searched. Mirio exploded from the ground behind it. This time he didn't attempt to strike it but allowed himself to be propelled upwards. There was no noise but the Noumu could sense him and turned its head upwards. The former sidekick came down, arms extended to punch at the Noumu.

Like most people in the world, and especially in Japan, Aizawa had seen All Might's quirk in action. It gave the man a glow. But commendators and online speculators had noted that Toshinori hadn't glowed all the time. Shouta was in the privileged position to know that he only glowed when he wasn't using the entire power available from One For All.

Aizawa wasn't sure if that was the same for Mirio, but he could see that Toogata wasn't glowing. The Noumu raised its huge arms and the two began punching at the other. Shouta felt each hit in his bones but he had the feeling that just punching this Noumu wasn't going to defeat it. He remembered the USJ and wondered how this one could be defeated. Then, All Might had won because he was stronger, and had literally blown that Noumu away but the former underground hero was certain this Noumu was stronger.

Wait… the original Noumu had been killed recently. How had they done that? Katsuki had told him it was… Oh, yes. Half 'n' Half, as Bakugou put it. Todoroki had burned the Noumu alive. Neither Mirio or he could do that, so how did they defeat this one? Especially since it could regenerate… Toogata could punch it away but that wouldn't be good enough. Shouta doubted that this one would be as docile as the other one, meaning it would kill whoever it found in the area it landed.

"Fifty percent!" Mirio said and landed a hit that actually drove the Noumu back.

It crashed through several, miraculously still standing grave markers but was quick to recover. Aizawa could see that there was no damage to the Noumu but he suspected it possessed accelerated healing.

"Fight good!" The Noumu said. There was a genuine note of happiness in its tone.

Aizawa couldn't reciprocate. It was good that Mirio was still fighting but how were they going to win? "Can you use your quirk?" Shouta yelled at Mirio.

"I am!" the Candidate shouted back.

"I mean permeation to trap it," Aizawa clarified.

"It doesn't apply to others."

That sort of made sense. If Mirio could extend permeation then he wouldn't lose his clothes when he used it. It didn't help them now.

The Noumu closed again with Mirio who didn't move. The Noumu's punches passed through him but the creature was quick to realise what that meant. It went low, sweeping one leg around. The candidate jumped but the Noumu had been expecting that and hit him hard. Mirio was driven back but Aizawa could see that he was hyperventilating. Then he released a breath before drawing as much air into his lungs as he could.

Shouta didn't know what he was doing, even as he disappeared. Like the Noumu, Aizawa began looking for Mirio. The Candidate usually used his power to drop down to take a more commanding position. It was usually quick… and then Shouta realised why Mirio had taken a deep breath. He was going to hold out as long as he could. The seconds ticked by. Half a minute, a full minute.

The Noumu growled. "Ran?" it snarled.

Then Mirio exploded from the ground. Aizawa knew he was watching someone with perfect control of his quirk. The candidate grabbed the Noumu as he flashed passed, pulling the huge creature into the air with him from the force of deactivating his quirk. The creature was quick to react and tried to hit Mirio even as it was dragged into the air. At the apex, Mirio released it, and kicked it to jump higher. The jump served only to separate them. Aizawa nodded, it made sense. The Noumu was still dangerous in the air.

Except… He felt his eyes widen. The Noumu didn't fall. Instead its arms altered and it drove them down. It could fly! A whining sound filled the air. It came from the Noumu. Aizawa squinted. It had jets.

The Noumu turned on the candidate, kicking at him. Mirio activated permeate and the kick passed through him. That seemed to frustrate the Noumu. It kicked again and tried to bite. Again, the movement passed through Mirio and Toogata began to fall. "Fight!" The Noumu snarled.

Mirio landed. "Any suggestions?" he called out.

"Nothing pertinent," Aizawa replied.

"Can you bring it down?"

Shouta knew what was being asked. He activated his quirk, looking up at the Noumu. His quirk didn't work on those with mutant type quirks but transformation quirks were something else. The Noumu flapped its arms hard and the whine disappeared. It realised what was happening and snarled, "Get him!"

It was only belatedly that Aizawa remembered that there was another Noumu present. He was forced to look away as the other attacked. Mirio had used the time well though, and had pulled at the fence surrounding the cemetery. He pulled out one of the metal uprights. It was rather old fashioned, wrought iron with a spear like topper. As Shouta dodged the other Noumu, he saw Mirio use the metal fence paling like a bo staff.

The original Noumu landed and attacked Mirio and that was all Aizawa could see for the moment. He hoped Mirio could do something! The Noumu attacking him wasn't as large, but it was and well muscled. Aizawa had yet to see a Noumu that wasn't a solid mass of muscle, so that even without strength augmentation it was likely to be stronger than him. He tried his quirk on it but couldn't see any difference.

He ran but the Noumu chased and just as he was about to reach the edge of the cemetery it jumped. Aizawa didn't see it because he was frozen. There, coming up the path was two civilians. It looked like a man helping his frail mother.

Shit! The Noumu landed on his back, driving him into the ground. Shouta screamed. "Stay away!"

He didn't see if they heard. He couldn't imagine how they couldn't but the Noumu slammed his head into the ground. He tasted dirt and blood again and braced as well as he could. There was nothing he could do to escape and Mirio was already occupied.

"That's enough, Noumu."

The voice was soft and well spoken. Aizawa couldn't place it, and it was only after a moment he realised what had been said. Then he recognised the voice.

"Ka...kurete," he managed to gasp out.

"Aizawa," the politician greeted him. "I had hoped to pay my respects to my father but-"

"Bull shit!" Shouta managed to spit. He had become far less tolerant as time went on, especially when he was in pain. He tried to twist around to look at the Representative.

Imoku chuckled. "Let him watch," he instructed the Noumu.

Somehow the causal order didn't surprise him. Aizawa had long believed that Imoku Kakurete was the Leader of the League. The fact that he could order the Noumu merely confirmed it.

The creature sitting on him shifted slightly but never gave him enough freedom of movement to break free. It wrenched his head so that he could see Mirio.

The candidate was still facing off against the Noumu and had used the fence as a weapon. It was embedded in the Noumu's chest but didn't appear to be hindering it. As Shouta was forced to watch the Noumu pulled out the iron stake and the wound began healing. Aizawa glared.

The wound stopped closing. The original Noumu spun the metal bar and didn't appear to notice that the wound wasn't healing. Unfortunately for him, Imoku did. The politician sighed and from the corner of his eye he saw the man gesture at the Noumu that was holding him down.

His head was slammed into the ground again, breaking the effects of his quirk, and on High End, the wound sealed. But it had given Shouta a method of winning. Mirio apparently had seen it as well because he immediately feinted towards them. The huge Noumu didn't let him.

"Please do not interfere with High End's fight," Imoku warned Shouta almost conversationally. "It's very difficult to arrange good fights for him and I don't want him to feel cheated."

There were multiple meanings in that explanation. It must have taken Imoku a while to confirm that here did not have security cameras as well, otherwise someone might have already noticed.

"Mother, please just sit here," Imoku continued, guiding his mother to one of the graves that was elevated. It was almost like a seat and the woman sat on it carefully, resting her walking stick beside her. Shouta was reminded that while he had spied on the woman, she really was very frail.

"Why are you here?" Aizawa gasped.

The politician moved to stand near him but was still in earshot of his mother. "Curiosity got the best of me," he admitted.

"And you are happy revealing everything?" Shouta asked, flicking his eyes towards Imoku's mother.

Kakurete smiled. Aizawa wasn't sure if it was at his question, or at the way the Noumu, apparently named High End managed to slam a fist into Mirio. "I have no secrets from my mother," he said.

"I find that hard to believe," Shouta countered.

"That is your problem," Imoku dismissed his concerns.

Aizawa had to admit it really was the least of the worries now, and it wasn't his fault if the woman learned things about her son she wasn't happy about, though the fact that she had meekly accepted a seat told him she was either infirm in her mind or she already knew. "What were you curious about?" He asked, trying to a different tact.

He now wished he hadn't dropped his phone. He could probably have squirmed enough to activate the record function. That would then provide evidence.

"I was curious to know who you called. High End said he'd give you the chance to call someone, but I wasn't sure you'd take it. I wanted to know if it would be Mirio or my dear friend Katsuki."

Shouta did his best not to react to that, but he couldn't suppress all his reaction. "Izuku Midoriya," he whispered the name. Believing that Imoku was the Leader of the League, even if he couldn't prove it was one thing. Accepting Bakugou's explanation that the almost fifty year old Imoku was really the late twenties Izuku Midoriya was another thing. He'd accepted it, because it did make some sense but… There had always been a kernel within that hadn't truly accepted it.

But the almost fifty year old Imoku Kakurete would not call Bakugou a dear friend if there was not history there, and the history between Katsuki and Imoku was well documented. The history between Bakugou and Midoriya was far more personal.

His whispered words got Imoku to look at him. The politician smiled but it was indescribably smug. The green haired man didn't deny anything. "I guess I also came for your curiosity, but if you know that name, then you know everything you need to. I would after all, hate for you to die with unanswered questions."

Aizawa didn't dignify that with an answer.

Imoku jerked his head back to the fight at his silence. "You should watch. It is not every day you get to see a battle involving this much power, and besides, you are bearing witness to history."

"History?" Shouta grunted.

"I killed All For One," Imoku told him, "so there is no longer any need for One For All."

"Lies," Aizawa gasped. It didn't matter what power the Representative thought he had, if he'd killed All For One then that couldn't have been kept quiet. And All For One had been in the highest security wing of Tartarus. The security in that section made the security in the normal wing, where Twice was currently residing, look like it was a kindergarten. There was no way Imoku got close enough to All For One to speak to him, let alone kill him.

"You do remember the quirk destroying bullets some heroes were once given?"

It wasn't a question Shouta was expecting but he nodded.

"Tomura gave me two of them," Imoku told him. "I was forced to use the one I intended for Tomura on Overhaul."

Imoku's mother gave a titter of laughter at that. "I had half the contents of the last bullet were pumped into All For One. Given the efficiency of delivery and his overall physical condition, half was more than sufficient to remove his quirks. Time did the rest."

Aizawa wasn't stupid. At that point, several things became clear. He had heard of QERI and he now knew how it had been developed. The second half of the bullet must have been it.

"Ah, you understand," Imoku murmured. "But watch now," he instructed.

Shouta didn't like the sound of that but compelled he looked over to where he had last seen Mirio. The Noumu had one impossibly long arm extended and had grabbed Mirio's forearm. Aizawa frowned. That shouldn't be causing a problem. Toogata should be able to use permeation to escape. The look of suppressed panic on the boy's face wasn't reassuring.

"It appears Toogata can't phase if something is piercing his body," Imoku said gently. "Though-" the politician broke off, as if he wasn't happy with something.

Aizawa wasn't sure what it could be. He watched as High End punched at Mirio but the boy was ready for it. He might not be able to phase his arm, but he could phase the rest of him. The punch passed through him. The Noumu wasn't happen. Aizawa didn't see what it did but Mirio screamed. He tried to pull away but the Noumu held tight.

Shouta felt sick. As Imoku said, he was watching history and he didn't like it. History wasn't meant to be so viscerally personal. The Noumu didn't like Mirio using permeation and now that it was pointed out, Aizawa could see the way the dark flesh had been driven into Mirio's arm. There was blood dripping from the hold. As he watched, High End reached out, stretching one arm impossibly long towards the metal fence stake Mirio had pulled up earlier. It gripped it and drew it back and then stabbed it towards Mirio's body.

The former sidekick permeated around it but the Noumu held it in place. Aizawa felt his eyes widen when he realised what the creation was going to do. Mirio couldn't breathe while his quirk was active. When he deactivated it, he would be driven off the stake but he would be solid and the Noumu was fast enough to take advantage of it. Somehow, even with no lips, its visage stretched into a smile.

The look of panic on Mirio's face confirmed Aizawa's thoughts about the Noumu's plan but how had it figured it out?

"High End is quite intelligent," Imoku told him.

"What?" Shouta demanded.

The politician didn't look at him but his face stretched into a smile. "Everyone seems to believe that High End is stupid, and while he is rather challenged in some aspects, when it comes to fighting, he learns very fast. Though, even without your assistance his healing isn't as fast as it should be."

"What?" Aizawa demanded. Why couldn't the politician make sense?

Imoku sighed. "The Noumu Todoroki killed was released because it was deteriorating. High End is better made, but he's beginning to show signs of age." The man gave a soft snort of laughter. "Understandable I suppose. He is now at least 40 and that's past fighting prime."

There was nothing Aizawa could say to that. Mirio couldn't hold his breath any longer and rephased into solid form. He somehow managed to do it so that he was twisting away from the stake that he was flung off but the Noumu was pushing it forward, and it opened a cut over Mirio's chest.

High End smiled further, as if its theory was confirmed and it yanked the tangible Mirio towards him, stabbing again with the stake.

Toogata managed to avoid it but Shouta already knew it was only a matter of time. He couldn't hold his breath forever and unless something changed then… He didn't like that thought because he knew what would happen to him afterwards.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, knowing there was very little he could do to help Mirio.

"Why?" Imoku replied with his own question.

"You are a powerful man! You have changed the law. You have improved the position of the quirkless! You have gotten what you want. There is no need to kill him." There was unexpected passion in Aizawa's voice.

The politician chuckled. "You ask me that, knowing full well that his goal is to change everything I have done," Imoku said, gesturing to where Mirio was in a desperate struggle.

"Not everything," Aizawa defended. The work Imoku had done to recognise quirkless rights was not something that needed to be changed.

"Returning heroes will destroy all the work I have done for the quirkless," Imoku said, somehow realising what work Aizawa wanted to keep. "I thought you might have a more realistic view given that you were an underground hero but I guess you still have that naive view."

Shouta was insulted by that.

"I grew up," Imoku continued. "On that rooftop, when All Might told me I was worthless because I didn't have an appropriate quirk, I grew up. I stopped looking at the world through the lense of heroes. I saw what they were doing. There was too much disconnect between them and the rest of the people. Quirks were everything."

"They're not," Aizawa said. "Quirks aren't everything," he clarified.

"Yet all the schools ever did was find ways for those bearing more and more unusual quirks to become heroes. You could have a weak quirk but so long as you were creative enough with its use, you could still become a hero. But the limit was _always_ the quirk, and the more powerful, the better. Those without quirks… useless."

Shouta felt cold. He knew where Izuku got that view from. Bakugou screamed it every time they met. It was embodied in the name the vigilante called Imoku. Deku. Useless.

"There is still too much of a belief in Heroes for me to allow Toogata to gain power. There are those who naively view heroes as being able to solve every problem. Yatou Rida is one."

That was something they didn't know and for an instant, Aizawa felt as if they had hope. If Mirio got into the House of Representatives, then Yatou Rida, the opposition leader, and likely to be the new Prime Minister, would be sympathetic to his policy to return heroes. They could win.

A scream from Mirio broke the illusion.

High End had not let go, but had managed to push Mirio over onto his back. One of the Noumu's feet was pressing down on Toogata's chest. The former sidekick had avoided the worst by using permeate to sink into the ground but he could not rise back up. Shouta could hear the crack as his ribs broke from where he was pinned.

"You are just going to watch a murder?" Aizawa snarled the question to Imoku's mother. She was still sitting on the grave, but had brought her walking stick up so that it was upright and she was resting both her hands on the handle.

"Why would I stop it?" She asked, her voice paper dry.

There was complete unconcern in the tone. It did not suit a woman who had to be at least 70. Why was she so cold? Given that Imoku was actually Izuku, hadn't the League just paid off an older woman? There were plenty of women who would do that for the right money. There were plenty of men as well. They would have picked someone sympathetic to their cause but she couldn't be this cold! This had to be her first time witnessing a murder.

Imoku laughed. The sound was frustratingly rich and genuinely amused. "He doesn't know," he said between chuckles.

Aizawa would have demanded more information but there was another cry from Mirio. Thankfully he couldn't see the Noumu's face. The flaps of skin on its neck were shading the long teeth and exposed brain but he could tell the creature was happy. It raised the metal stake high and Shouta watched the Noumu plunge it down. He activated his quirk but it stopped nothing, and there was a sickening thunk as the metal pierced through Mirio's flesh. Blood spewed from his mouth, staining his skin. His eyes were wide, wider than Aizawa had ever seen them and he could see the way Mirio's muscles were straining against the Noumu.

But no matter how strong the former sidekick was, High End was stronger, especially with the injuries Mirio now had. It ground the stake in Mirio's body, eliciting another scream.

"You won't get away with this," Shouta hissed. He could hear the wet labourned tone of Toogata's breathing from here.

"Let me worry about that," Imoku told him. It told Aizawa that the politician had thought of the consequences. Shouta would like to say that he couldn't have thought of everything, but history was definitely on the Representative's side.

High End let go of Mirio's arm, and Aizawa could see that it was a bloody mess. The Noumu had managed to drive something into the flesh to ensure it remained holding. There was a solid thump as it fell to the ground. Then the Noumu stepped back.

"Good fight!" it declared.

"Was it?" Imoku asked.

High End turned to the Representative. The Noumu grinned. "Yes, Master!"

"I'm glad," Imoku said.

Aizawa felt sick.

"Make sure he is dead," Kakurete ordered, his eyes cold as he looked at Mirio. Aizawa wanted to scream that Mirio was dead, that they should leave him but his voice died in his throat. He knew it wouldn't do anything and he didn't want to hear whatever counter Imoku had. He felt sick enough.

The Noumu nodded, and reached down, grabbing Mirio by the head and hauling him upwards. There was a wet sound as the metal stake moved within his body.

"Your enemy, All For One has gone ahead," Imoku said, and for a moment Aizawa didn't know who he was talking to. "Rest now, One For All," he concluded as High End pulled. Flesh tore, and blood and bone splattered to the ground. The Noumu abandoned the pieces as it made its way towards them.

Shouta swallowed hard. "You won't get away with this," he said again. "There will footage. There is a record!" There had to be a record. Some footage from some security camera showing Imoku leading his mother up here. The Police would find it. They'd question the Representative. They'd work things out.

There had to be something but Aizawa had the sinking feeling that Bakugou's oath would be needed. Katsuki had once sworn that it would be over his dead body that Imoku won. It looked like it might take that.

"I told you, let me worry about that," Imoku repeated, turning to face him fully. The politician crouched so that they were more level. The Noumu sitting on Aizawa didn't move.

"What will satisfy you?" Shouta asked. He glared at Imoku. "When will it be enough?" He added, wanting to gesture to the blood that covered High End. In his experience, villains like Imoku were never satisfied. There was always an enemy, always someone to kill, and that's where they made their mistake.

If he was going to die, then he prayed that this would be Kakurete's mistake.

Imoku smiled at him, as if he was remembering something. "It will be enough when I have the power to save everyone."

Aizawa didn't know what to think about that. He had no time to think about it because the Noumu gripped his head. The other Noumu, High End stood behind Imoku, looking over his shoulder like some parody of a body guard. "This one fight?"

Imoku stood before looking up at the larger creature. "This one is weak, remember?" he asked.

High End nodded, remembering. "Weaker than Master."

Kakurete chuckled, and reached one hand up to touch the bare muscle of High End's shoulder. "I'll see if I can get you another fight. Someone different," he added.

"Another fight?" High End almost cheered the words.

"Maybe," Imoku agreed before turning back to Aizawa. He crouched again, and High End dropped his head, so that it was about the same height as Imoku's.

There was the sound of sirens in the distance. Aizawa felt frustrated hearing them. What had taken so long? Why now… when it was too late?

"We need to go," Mrs Kakurete said.

"We do, but I think there is time for one more question," Imoku said. "A last request," he added, looking at Shouta, with one eyebrow raised. It was an obvious inquiry.

Except there was nothing left to ask. All he could do now was try to get some warning to the Police who were rushing to the scene. He had to get warning to anyone, anyway he could.

Aizawa wrenched his head up. It exposed his throat but he didn't care. The position meant he could look the Representative in the eye. "You can kill, and kill, and kill, but with the path you've chosen you will never be safe from a knife in the back," he said softly.

Imoku rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward. He was balanced on his toes. "But I will get away with enough," he breathed his response, before nodding at the Noumu.

Aizawa glared, his quirk active. He didn't feel the Noumu's comparatively huge hands grip his head. The last thing he saw was Kakurete rising to his feet, his expensive shoes once again flat on the ground.

Then, there was a crack, as his neck was broken and everything went black.

 **-afop-**

 _Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it._

Notes:

I'm sure there are two questions about this chapter. 1. Did anyone see them going to the cemetery and 2. How did Izuku and Toga get away?

No one saw them coming to the cemetery because their driver dropped them off in a blind spot, and since there is no evidence Representative Kakurete was there, no one asked questions of the Driver, and guess who the driver is loyal to first and foremost?

How did Izuku get away? High End can store other Noumu's, and so Izuku allowed himself and Toga to be put into storage and High End flew away. Or High End is bloody huge! He can fly off carrying Izuku and Toga!

Or they called Kurogiri.

Pick whichever one you like.

-afop-


	31. Part 2: Chapter 13

**Part 2: Chapter 13**

Bakugou felt sick. Not that it wasn't his usual feeling when he saw Kakurete, but this time it was worse.

Izuku was dressed in black and was giving a speech. It was a funeral speech and it was being televised. "We cannot let violence dictate our lives," he was saying.

Katsuki clenched his teeth. He was willing to bet both hands that Izuku was the source of the violence. The Police had found a ruined graveyard, two bodies and blood and not all of it belonged to the bodies.

The perpetrator wasn't there and there was no CCTV footage of anything.

Bakugou snarled at the screen. He knew what had happened. He'd told Kirishima but the Special Forces Officer had simply shaken his head. He hadn't even questioned Kakurete. He wasn't there, is what Kirishima told him.

That might have been true. But Izuku sure as hell knew what went down. He'd ordered it. Of that, Katsuki was positive. And now… Their last hope of legitimately defeating fucking Deku was gone.

"We must continue to be vigilant. We must continue to let the law deal with the issues we discover in life."

Oh he did not say that! Katsuki snarled at the TV.

Fucking Deku had not just implied that Toogata was out being a vigilante when he was killed! Except, Bakugou knew what he'd heard, and he knew what others would hear… Without a perp, the press were going to have a field day. They would run so many stupid stories… Katsuki knew they would because that fucking Deku would tell them to!

It didn't matter what Toogata had been there for, by the time shitty Deku's press was through with him, he'd be the losing vigilante in a fight against…

"Fuck!" Bakugou swore with some heat.

It could very well be him. Deku's press could spin the story that Toogata had gotten into a fight with him. "Shit, shit, shit!"

That explained Kirishima's look.

When Bakugou had become a vigilante, he had known he couldn't rely on anything except cash. He had a cheap apartment in a bad part of town. His reputation was enough to keep things safe. His reputation and a few well timed beat downs. But he still focused on getting anything at a bargain price. It meant it was easier to replace and he could spend more on items for heroics. Not that he needed much but he had priorities, such as several special soak pads for his sweat… and a few other surprises in the event he had to get serious.

However it did mean he was a loner. He didn't have a fucking alibi for the day that Toogata was killed. Nothing that would hold up anyway.

Kirishima hadn't given him a warning, which meant shitty Deku hadn't started that campaign. That meant he had some time. That was good. He couldn't come up with an alibi but he could do other things.

He shook his head, snorting. He should have known he'd be in this alone. He should have refused to meet with the others when Aizawa had invited him. They hadn't known what they were getting into. They thought that shitty Deku was just another villain. They didn't know he was far more than that. And now, it was down to him.

Bakugou rolled his shoulders. Well, it had always been up to him.

Fucking Deku… Katsuki looked back to the screen. Deku was still speaking. While he didn't know Mirio that well, the fact that he had been a Candidate for the House of Representatives meant at least some of the politicians were there. Shitty Deku, as one of the youngest had been invited to speak. They invited the murderer to speak and Bakugou could tell from hs posture that Deku fucking thought he'd won.

Over his dead body. No, wait! Over Deku's. The fucker had had his own way long enough.

His phone pinged. Bakugou growled, but grabbed it. It was a message.

A slow smile spread over his face. The message was encrypted but he had been waiting for it. He finally had a lead on Dabi. It was time to take the fight to him.

-afop-

"You know, it's been really annoying. Did you have to take him?"

Kasen paused in the hallway. He was aware his boss, Dabi, had another boss, but it was one of those unspoken things. Dabi hardly ever spoke about, or to his boss. So with the question from Dabi, Kasen couldn't help but wonder if the man was here, or if Dabi was on the phone. His eyes scooted over to the door.

Dabi's office overlooked the fighting pit but he was in the corridor on the far side. The door was open a crack or he wouldn't have heard anything. The office had the best sound proofing of the entire building. He nearly peed himself when he saw the outline of another person there.

 _Shit, shit, shit!_ Kasen thought to himself, his eyes like saucers. Dabi's mysterious boss was right _here_. The League's Leader was just there! The ultimate criminal mastermind who ran everything from the deepest fucking shadows… A man no one knew, but everyone respected, because it was rumoured that if you offended him, then you just disappeared. No questions asked. This was the man who ran the underworld with an iron fist.

He didn't know if he should faint or scream or cry. He did know that he was going to listen as much as he could. This was… This was an unexpected opportunity.

The man sighed. Kasen couldn't see anything but his outline. The door wasn't open enough for much more than that and he was thankful he could see that much. It was like he was in the presence of God.

"High End has been on my back to have another good fight," Dabi clarified his complaint to the boss. They were obviously discussing the League's affairs.

Kasen almost shuddered at the mention of that monster. It was huge, stupidly strong and obsessed with fighting. Of course, it did great in the fighting ring but Kasen wasn't sure it could be called human. And he didn't like the way it looked down on them all as if it would as soon as kill them as simply let them be in the same room.

"You said you had someone coming through the ranks?"

"Yeah, he won the Osaka round the other day," Dabi said.

The villain was proud that he could follow the conversation. He knew who the boss was referring to. Dabi ran fighting rings all over the country. They were all heats to get into the main underground fight, where the fighters eventually faced off against High End. The fact that the monster hadn't been defeated in years just made it the goal of all the wannabes. There was always more morons who had more balls than brains willing to fight and die. Most of them died against High End. That's what underground rings were about.

"Is he any good? I mean _really_ good?"

"Maybe?" Anyone who went up against High End had to be really good or they wouldn't survive. Most didn't anyway.

"Accelerate the ranks then?" The boss suggested.

"I'll think about it," Dabi said. "He should be coming here later today," the Acting Leader shrugged. "I'll decide then."

It was an interesting dynamic. Kasen hadn't expected to hear that Dabi could say no to a suggestion. He always thought the boss was absolute.

"It's up to you. You are in charge of the fighting rings," the boss said.

It couldn't be that simple, could it? Would the mysterious Head of the Underworld really just let Dabi do what he wanted because he'd been put in charge of that aspect? That was…

That was the level of trust that existed between Dabi and his boss, Kasen realised. Dabi was the acting head. The public head of the Underworld, so of course the real boss trusted him.

"How are you going with ExplodoKill?" the boss asked.

Dabi huffed. It was audible from where Kasen was standing, looking at the outline of the boss. "With Mustard and Ujiko gone and Twice captured, I'm going to have problems with what you want."

"I can't get Twice out," the unknown man said.

Kasen remembered that Twice was in Tartarus. It made sense that there were limits, even for his ultimate boss.

"I still want to kill him," Dabi assured the man.

"Oh, I don't doubt that."

Dabi sighed again.

"What is it?" The boss asked. He sounded genuinely concerned.

"I know you said we could go wild against him," Kasen heard Dabi begin to explain. "But I don't think many of us want to come out again."

"Ah."

Kasen didn't know how he knew it, but he could just _see_ the understanding look on the bosses face. It was in the depth of that single syllable.

"You aren't surprised!" Dabi accused

"I had accounted for it. You've had ten years of peace, and profit," the boss said with a chuckle. "Why risk that on a vigilante? Especially when it's just going to bring unwanted attention."

"That makes us sound selfish," Dabi objected.

The boss laughed again. "Villains are selfish!" he told the Acting Leader.

"Yeah, but you ordered us to kill him."

"No. I said if you wanted to run wild, then you had to kill him."

"Except he's been killing us regardless!"

"He never stopped looking for you all," the boss said.

"Fuck," Dabi growled. "We fucking lost Twice, Ujiko and Mustard because of him."

The boss said nothing.

Kasen didn't know what was going on.

"We will get him," the boss said finally. "Eventually. I can make a plan if needed."

"You said you'd judge ours," Dabi said with an odd lilt.

"That was before he got so aggressive."

"He's not going to be a danger to you?" Dabi asked suddenly.

The man was silent for a few moment. "He'll probably take a crack at me," he replied with a theatrical chuckle.

Kasen was reassured just hearing it. The boss was confident.

"It's about all he has left, since I've taken out the rest of the problems."

Dabi snorted a response to that. Kasen wondered exactly who the boss was talking about. There was no question that he was talking about murder. It didn't bother Kasen. That was just an occupational hazard of the industry but whoever the boss had taken out must have been special, simply because they warranted his attention.

Though there was another implication with the response. Someone out there, who wasn't the upper echelons of the League knew who the boss was. Who the hell could learn that? And how? Kasen knew most new League members, as soon as they found out that Dabi wasn't the highest boss, tried to work out who that real boss was but no one ever did.

That someone had… that an _enemy_ had worked it out, Kasen wasn't sure what he thought of that.

"How did he find out about you anyway?" Dabi asked. It was the question Kasen wanted to know as well.

"I told him."

" _What?"_

That was Kasen's reaction as well!

"We grew up together, Dabi," the boss continued. He didn't sound annoyed. "He was always going to know I am me."

"You know that isn't possible!"

"Oh, it's possible," the boss laughed. "You just haven't worked out how yet."

"You can't be younger than me!"

"Why not?"

"Imoku! You are forty-eight and a Member of the House of Representatives, you are not the same age as my younger brother."

Kasen froze at sentence. If he thought his eyes had been wide earlier, they were stretched tight now. He knew _that_ name. He'd been around Dabi long enough that he'd learned more about politics than he ever wanted. He knew the name of Imoku Kakurete. Suddenly Dabi's interest in politics made perfect sense… But…

 _Fuck, fuck fuck!_ He wasn't meant to hear that name. He wasn't meant to hear any of this. His throat tightened.

Kasen scrambled away from the door. He hit the other side of the corridor, still scrambling.

The noise was his undoing.

"Shit!" That was Dabi. There were quick steps and the door was flung open.

Dabi glared at him. There was murder in the fire villain's eyes. Kasen was reminded that while Dabi was pretty cool to work for, he was still a villain. Behind him another man appeared. Kasen's eyes fixed on him. His eyes were green, to match his hair and he appeared calm.

Then the green eyes dismissed him. This is what it felt like to be an ant. He gulped, trying to moisten a mouth that went dry.

"I think we have larger problems," Imoku murmured, putting one hand on Dabi's shoulder.

Kasen couldn't follow his gaze. Dabi did.

"Fuck," the fire villain said before he threw a gout of flame down the corridor.

It was only because Kasen was already against the wall that it missed him. The fire was blocked by an explosion.

"Fucker!" there was curse and Kasen wrenched his eyes away from Imoku to look down the corridor.

Even with Dabi's display of power, the Representative… The League's Leader seemed calm. Kasen didn't know how, especially when he saw who was here.

ExplodoKill! What was the vigilante doing here, with a wildly pleased grin on his face? Dabi sent another gout of fire towards him before throwing himself backwards and slamming the door to his office.

It wasn't what Kasen expected though the motion made sense. There was only one reason ExplodoKill would be here and they had to protect the boss. The vigilante stormed down the corridor. His eyes were red and burning and he snarled at the door. Kasen was ignored. He didn't know what the thought about that.

"Deku!" ExplodoKill screamed.

They weren't going to hear him. Not in Dabi's office. Kasen wasn't sure what to do. Just a moment before he had been under a death gaze, now he was forgotten.

No, not forgotten. He'd be dealt with later. He felt cold. Fuck! He never wanted that. But Kasen knew, as soon as the vigilante was dealt with, he'd be next. And he had no doubt that the boss had already worked out how to deal with the vigilante.

Unless he dealt with this situation first… Which would prove his loyalty. Which would save his life.

Kasen looked up from where he had fallen against the wall. ExplodoKill's back was to him. The vigilante was screaming at the door. His quirk was making explosions in his hands. Kasen watched as he slammed his hands into the door. Burn marks appeared on it but the structure was solid. It was designed that way.

The vigilante wasn't paying any attention to him. Good. Slowly, Kasen reached around his body. He didn't have a powerful quirk, at least, nothing powerful enough that he wanted to risk attacking ExplodoKill in the back with it. His quirk was one of those ones deemed worthless. So he'd joined the League. There had been those who had only focused on quirks but generally the League focused on results. He'd given them results. Just not with his quirk.

Still, today, his gun felt cold in his hand as he clasped it. He pulled it out of the holster he kept it in. It was in the small of his back. Kasen brought his hand around. He was slightly surprised by how steady it was.

He lined his gun up, aiming for the centre of ExplodoKill's back. He would definitely be rewarded for this. The vigilante was concentrating on the door, sending explosion after explosion at it. Dabi was no fool. His office was reinforced. All it was doing was leaving burn marks on the door and the panels beside it.

Kasen squeezed the trigger.

"Urgh!" An explosion threw his hand off, and then he felt something hit his head. The gun clattered from his hand.

He blinked at the new angle, trying to work out what had happened. He looked up at the vigilante. ExplodoKill was turned towards him now. His red eyes were mad. Kasen realised what must have happened. The vigilante had thrown off his aim and kicked him. All in the one movement. He couldn't even groan and everything hurt with that one kick.

"Actually, that might be useful," the voice belonged to ExplodoKill. The vigilante bent down to pick up his gun. "Thanks fucker!"

The world went dark.

-afop-

Dabi's office might be soundproofed but Izuku could still hear the explosions from Katsuki against the door. Dabi had slammed the door and the locks were holding but it was only a matter of time, and they both knew it.

"I guess he's taking a crack at us both," Imoku said, referencing his earlier conversation with Dabi.

"Call Kurogiri!" Dabi urged. The villain didn't find this funny.

"I'm not completely useless," Imoku defended, creating a shower of sparks. It was a forcible reminder of what he had done to All Might.

"You can do that to him?" Dabi demanded.

"Maybe," Imoku was forced to admit. "There are a lot of sparks in the human body, and it takes me a while to isolate the right ones," he explained. "That's why I had to talk to him."

"Then call Kurogiri!" Dabi countered.

Imoku glanced over at the window. There was floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the fighting ring in Dabi's office. "Can't we call High End?" He made the counter suggestion, wincing as a particularly loud explosion actually rattled the door.

Whatever Dabi had constructed wasn't going to hold against Bakugou when he was this determined.

Dabi cocked his head at that before he grinned. It wasn't a nice grin. "It would solve the problem," he admitted. He moved to the side wall and Imoku watched as he tapped a series on the wood panelling. There was nothing about the wood to say there was anything different, but Dabi then stepped to the side, away from the windows and pushed at one of the panels. It gave away.

"Ingenious," Imoku murmured. Just touching the wall wouldn't open it which meant no one would find the passage without knowing it was already there, or taking down the entire wall.

"Go!" Dabi insisted, gesturing for him to go through.

Izuku wasn't afraid of facing Katsuki, but he would much rather it be on his terms. He crawled into the passageway and was pleased to see that there were several lights in there. They were tiny led lights that gave just enough illumination to see by. He kept crawling.

This suit was being burned when this was over. Izuku grinned to himself. He'd sacrifice a suit any day to have Bakugou brought low.

"Go left," Dabi said from behind him.

Imoku obliged as he continued crawling. The passage wasn't that long but he knew it wouldn't come out close to Dabi's office.

"How many passages do you have?" Imoku asked over his shoulder.

"A few," Dabi admitted. "I had this building set up to my spec," he explained.

They crawled further and there was a thud from behind them.

"I think he's just found the office," Imoku told his underling.

"And we made it to the exit," Dabi replied.

Imoku looked back to see Dabi press against a panel. It gave and Imoku got a vision of some of the seating. It was near the fighting ring. He backed up, and out of the passage, before standing. His initial impression had been right. They were in the seating area of the fighting ring. Imoku looked up. They were also out of the line of sight from Dabi's office.

"Clever," he murmured.

The fire villain grinned at him as he replaced the panel. "This way," he said after it was done, gesturing towards the ring.

It wasn't so much a ring as a flat area. Hanging above it was a cage. The cage could be dropped to provide cage matches on an as needed basis. There was seating all around, except for a few tunnels. Izuku realised those tunnels were there so that fighters could make dramatic entrances.

"Where's High End?" he asked, walking towards the open area.

"High End!" Dabi yelled.

There was an answering roar.

Imoku caught on. "Good fight!" He added his voice.

The answering roar was closer and definitely carried a note of happiness.

"Cheater," Dabi muttered.

Imoku gave him a smirk before looking up towards Dabi's office. His smirk shifted into a grin. Bakugou was visible in the window. Izuku was sure the glass could be set to one way viewing but his old friend wasn't caring about that. His grin widened as Katsuki drove a fist into the glass.

Oh! Bakugou was so predictable.

"Fight?"

The question came from High End as the Noumu strode into the ring. He hunched over and looking around eagerly for his opponent. "Where fight?" High End demanded.

Imoku pointed for the Noumu's benefit.

High End looked upwards, the light of his eyes narrowing as he saw Bakugou.

"No need to go to him," Imoku warned when High End's arms began shifting into wings to accompany the jets that appeared on his shoulders. "He'll come here."

Katsuki confirmed Izuku's words when he slammed his fist into the window. It was powered by one of his explosions. Cracks appeared in the glass.

"That's reinforced!" Dabi objected.

"There's a reason he's been a pain," Imoku said softly.

"Fuck it!" Dabi growled, then turned towards High End. "Kill him!" He ordered.

The Noumu looked at Imoku, who nodded his confirmation.

Another hit impacted the glass. It shattered. There was enough distance that they weren't showered with it. "Deku!" Katsuki screamed.

Imoku winced. He had forgotten how loud Bakugou could be. The vigilante jumped down, slowing his descent with well timed explosions.

"No need to yell, young man," Imoku said in his most pissy tone. He knew it would annoy Katsuki more.

"Fucking Deku!" He growled as he landed. "Cut the crap!"

"Are you really sure you want me to, Kaaaa-cchan?" He drew out the old endearment.

"You've had your way too long," the vigilante growled.

Izuku laughed. "You don't even recognise the gift I gave you, do you, Kacchan?" he asked, this time saying the old name normally.

"Gift, you fucker?"

Imoku smiled. Dabi was looking at him as if he was insane and High End was just waiting He knew he'd get to fight soon. "Ten years, Kacchan. I gave you one year for every year that you bullied me, so that you could live with the knowledge that I was better, that I have won. You've used those ten years to try to take me down, and you've failed!" Imoku shook his head. "And now, it's time for you to leave."

Bakugou laughed. "Ten years for you to gain an inflated opinion, Fucking Deku!" He growled. "And a night for me to rip you a new one."

"You won't be getting out of here," Dabi announced.

"Shut up," Katsuki spat back, and Izuku was surprised to see the gun in his hand. It was not something he thought Bakugou would use. It was aimed at the fire villain.

"That's-" Dabi recognised it.

"The fucker who was listening in," Katsuki confirmed.

Dabi growled and Izuku watched, almost in slow motion as Dabi snapped his hand up, fire already forming a gout to hit Bakugou.

But Kacchan was not one to hesitate.

The bang echoed through the ring but was quickly drowned as Katsuki cursed. He made a throwing gesture, and Izuku recognised the gun as it was cast away. Bakugou shook his hand. He'd been burnt. Dabi's fire had hit him, or the gun at least. "Ha!" He barked.

Imoku looked towards Dabi. The fire villain was still standing but there was a shocked look on his face. And a perfect hole in his forehead. His body crumpled.

He felt a smile stretch his features as he turned back to his old friend. His expression was enough for Bakugou to pause. "Thank you," Izuku said easily.

"What?" Katsuki demanded.

"Thank you," Imoku repeated, still smiling. He held up one hand, making sure the gesture wasn't threatening. "You've taken out Compress, Twice, Mustard, Ujiko and Dabi," he ticked off the League members on each finger as he spoke. "And they were the ones I had doubts about, so thank you. After all, as their boss, it wouldn't have been proper for me to do it, would it?" He asked laconically, already knowing his words would anger the vigilante.

Compress was independent. He would have gone his own way. Twice probably wouldn't have meant to betray him but couldn't have helped himself with his nature. Mustard had come into villainy too young and had been content to be one of BioSimip's suppliers but he hadn't been careful! Ujiko was operating her own businesses, at the expense of his and Dabi… Well, there was every indication Dabi had been content but the villain was showing signs of resentment at only every being number two. His acceptance of Toga's half brained plan was proof of that. He had been looking, unconsciously perhaps, for a way out. Not that Imoku wouldn't have used him for longer but sometimes, sacrifices had to be made.

"That leaves others," Bakugou snarled.

Izuku chuckled. "Himiko?" He shook his head.

It was amusing to see that Katsuki grimaced at the name. He knew what Izuku was saying. Toga was loyal to him.

"Kurogiri?" Izuku named the next League member. He tutted at Bakugou. "I am the last of those chosen by Sensei," he told his old friend. It was explanation enough.

"Spinner?" Bakugou said the name, conceding the warp villain's loyalty.

At that, Izuku actually laughed. "Spinner watched me kill Stain's perfect hero, All Might," he said. It didn't need much more explanation than that. If Spinner let All Might die, then he was no longer truly loyal to Stain but was loyal to Izuku.

"Fucking Deku!" Bakugou roared as he charged. There was nothing left to say.

Izuku didn't move. High End did. The huge Noumu simply stepped in front of him and all Izuku felt was the wash from Katsuki's explosions. They tugged at his pants but nothing more.

"Have a good fight," Izuku wished High End. "I will watch from over there," he said, indicating towards the tunnel the Noumu had appeared from. It would provide the most cover for him because he knew, even with High End here, Bakugou would be gunning for him.

The Noumu said nothing but Imoku knew he had heard. As he moved, the thought of what needed to be done. Before he left, he'd have to check if there were camera feeds here. He didn't think there were, but better to be safe than sorry. Or he'd ask Kurogiri.

High End swung one arm at Katsuki. The vigilante dodged, thrusting his uninjured hand towards the Noumu and exploding it. One thing Izuku could say about Bakugou was that his old friend knew when not to hold back. He wasn't now. The explosion was powerful. Izuku saw it actually scorch and burn High End's abdomen. The Noumu felt it as well. It didn't hiss even as the muscle and skin healed, it was the opposite. High End was excited.

"Fight!" He told Bakugou in a happy tone. "Good fight!"

The vigilante took the initiative, throwing punches and enhancing each with explosions. "Get out of my way!" Katsuki screamed.

Oh yes, his old friend wanted nothing more than for him to be on the receiving end of those punches but High End wasn't going to allow that.

The Noumu closed with Bakugou. Imoku couldn't see much but he could hear the continuous detonation of explosions. He saw High End's skin char and blacken and heal again and again. His eyes narrowed. It was definitely slower. Maybe he should help… he could stop an explosion or two, but he knew High End would not approve. Instead he focused on Katsuki. Stopping a heart was a difficult job, he had to get a feel for the currents in Kacchan's body.

He was sure that High End would win, but Izuku hadn't got to where he was by not being willing to plan for contingencies.

"Fucker!" Bakugou snarled, jumping back. He pulled something from the belt he had on.

High End let him go. Imoku had seen the Noumu fight in this ring before. He tended to allow his challengers to try a few things. Even though Imoku had ordered him to kill, he imagined High End would revert to his norms here. Now that Bakugou had cleaned up the League, it was time for him to move on. It would happen, Izuku just had to be patient and to enjoy the show.

Still, he had time to plan. He'd have to replace Dabi. He could have worked with it if Dabi had survived today but he hadn't so that meant there had to be a replacement. It would be slightly difficult. Dabi was the established Leader of the League to the underworld's masses. A smile stretched across Imoku's features. He still had Kurogiri, Himiko and Spinner. They would support him. And if none of them wanted the leadership position, they could promote someone.

It would be a challenge to keep that unknown in line. It would be fun. And he'd need something to do, since most of his enemies had rather courteously managed to die. After all, it wasn't like controlling the current Opposition Leader, and likely soon to be Prime Minister, Yatou Rida was going to be difficult.

Dabi had been complacent today, given that underling had been listening in. Maybe that underling could be the leader? Imoku snorted. Probably not. He needed someone more bold someone not afraid. It didn't really matter who, or if they wanted to betray him, he needed the challenge. Besides, it's not like whoever was chosen wouldn't trust him.

Izuku turned his attention back to the fight in time to see Bakugou charge at High End. The thing he had taken from his belt was in one hand and Izuku had a sinking idea he knew what it was now.

It was confirmed a moment later when there was a huge explosion. Imoku shielded himself as best he could but in the tunnel he could still feel the blast of air and the wash of heat. High End roared from within the explosion. Imoku hunkered down, shielding his eyes as the explosion seemed to go on forever. What had Katsuki done? Usually his explosions were quick, and while Kacchan could generate them one after the another that required a lot of sweat. It wasn't that hot in here. So what had he done? It had to be something to do with whatever he'd taken from his belt.

Eventually the explosion faded. Izuku felt his eyes widen as he watched High End fall to his knees. The Noumu fell forward onto its face. Bakugou turned his eyes to him. Izuku could read the dismissal in the red orbs but he knew High End wasn't finished yet. As Katsuki took a step towards him, High End moved. His large hand gripped the vigilante's ankle. Bakugou was quick to react. He spun, slamming his hands down on High End's arm to explode the offending hand from his ankle.

It worked, but High End then rose, holding up the stump of his arm as the bone, muscle and nerves reformed. "Good fight!" the Noumu cheered, unconcerned with the healing state of his skin and hand.

Imoku wasn't as relaxed. It was definitely too slow. He'd seen High End fight for years, and this was noticeably slower than it had been. Still, Izuku was confident the Noumu had what it took to kill Bakugou. He might be deteriorating with his healing, but Imoku could feel that High End was more stable when he spoke to him with his quirk active. He would have to deal with it later.

High End swung again at Bakugou with his newly formed hand. Katsuki responded as he always did, with an explosion. It peeled the newly formed skin back.

"Do you want a hand?" Imoku yelled to the Noumu.

"No!" came the instant response.

Izuku laughed. He had expected that reply.

"Wouldn't work, fucking Deku," came a response from Bakugou.

Imoku didn't say anything. He knew what Katsuki was referring to. The first time Bakugou had confronted him, he had stopped him from producing sparks to create his explosions. That was over ten years ago. Bakugou had obviously learned some new tricks in the meantime. That was okay, he had as well.

High End caught Katsuki with a punch. The vigilante was punted back until he hit the first row of seats that surrounded the ring. He crashed into them, tumbling further back into the next few rows until he came to a halt. Bakugou was all limbs.

He growled as High End strode towards him. "Fucker!" Bakugou growled.

Imoku couldn't help his widening eyes as he fished in his belt again. He focused his public quirk on his old friend, feeling the sparks in Katsuki's body. There were so many and he couldn't get a lock on them. He wasn't meant to. He really had to stretch spark to affect something that was really so subtle. It was far easier to affect Bakugou's hands. The spark was bigger. But he would do whatever it took. He, Imoku Kakurete was walking away from today.

 _Shit!_ He thought to himself. The expletive wasn't that refined but Bakugou was so predictable. The previous explosion had affected High End, and in the vigilante's small mind, that meant a bigger explosion was obviously better. High End would recover, so long as his head wasn't too badly damaged, but Izuku knew the look on Bakugou's face. He was going to make the biggest explosion he could. It wasn't hard to figure out what the things he pulled from his belt were. They must be concentrated sweat pouches or something similar.

"You are dead fucker!" Katsuki screamed as he got up and charged towards High End. Imoku noticed something different with the way he ran. His fists were holding something and… There was a glint on his glove. A knife, perhaps?

The Noumu meet Bakugou's charge. The creation wasn't afraid. Imoku thought that it didn't know how to be afraid. He could see that there were more of the explosive things in Bakugou's hands and Imoku focused on nulling the spark but there was something wrong.

"Ha!" Bakugou laughed an instant before impact with High End.

If Imoku had thought the explosion earlier was bad, this was worse. He was forced to hunker down in the tunnel, shielding his head with his arms. Something still hit him that wasn't just the shock wave. It was smaller and denser, and stun, almost like hail. The whole building shook. The noise was incredible, and Imoku could hear smaller, secondary explosions forming.

Then he heard something splatter. It wasn't a single noise but continued, as if there was a gentle pitter patter of rain. Izuku looked around. He didn't have to look far. There were little things falling to the ground at the entrance to the tunnel. There were some on him, those that had been flung more horizontally.

There was the sickening smell of burning flesh. Izuku gagged. It had been years since he'd smelt it but it brought back memories. It wasn't much of a comfort that it wasn't his flesh burning this time. Izuku swallowed hard, pushing down the nausea he felt at the reminder of his past. He thought he'd gotten over that.

He would be getting over it very soon. Just as soon as Katsuki was gone for good. It was a catharsis he had been looking forward to for a while.

The smell didn't linger, though the pitter patter of rain did. That was a problem. Imoku knew what it meant. If Kacchan had done it right, it wouldn't be High End making the kill. Imoku focused. He knew what the glint on Bakugou's glove had been for now. It had been a blade, possibly one that split to make a hole, so of course his old friend had done it right. Ten years wouldn't have been enough to change that, and for Bakugou, Izuku knew he had always had the thought that there was no kill like overkill. His blade would have made an opening, so he could force his fist actually _into_ High End. This explosion had come from within the Noumu. The pitter patter was the bits of High End raining back down into the ring.

Well, that might have worked on High End, but Izuku preferred the subtler approach. He suspected Kacchan would be wanting evidence of his supposed corruption. He wouldn't make the same attack.

The explosion faded as the pitter patter did. Imoku was prepared for the result. High End was… It was a misnomer to say he was down, or rather he was down to his legs. They were still standing but as Imoku watched, they fell. The black skin on them lacked the sheen of the living. It was darker and almost granular. Carbonised. At least on the outside. The rest of the Noumu's body couldn't be seen. Imoko looked around for High End's head. If it survived, then he'd have to kill Bakugou, but he'd still have a champion for his fighting ring.

The smoke cleared and allowed him to see Bakugou was holding it by the skin flap.

"Impressive," Imoku murmured. He was forced to admit that Kacchan had come a long way with his control. When they were younger, Katsuki had just produced explosions. Now it appeared he could regulate the output. In this case, he'd made his explosion bigger (with help) and a hell of a lot hotter.

Bakugou held up High End's head and put his other hand behind it.

Izuku knew what he was about to do. The explosion was destructive and Imoku looked down at his suit as another part of High End splattered against him. The suit was already dusty but now it was also covered in charcoal. He doubted it could be laundered.

"Your turn!" Katsuki growled. He didn't bother to hide how happy he was.

"You really think I'll just let that happen?" Imoku murmured.

"Arrogant fucker!" Bakugou snarled, and released what was left of High End's head as he strode towards Imoku. Small explosions appeared on his palms but Izuku could see the strain it was causing. Kacchan was getting tired.

"Do you really think you will survive this?" Izuku asked, reaching out to suppress the explosions on Katsuki's palms.

The vigilante grinned at him. "That's not going to save you, Deku!" He crowed, triumphantly.

Apparently Bakugou hadn't been lying when he'd earlier said it wouldn't work. He had learned some new tricks in the last ten years. Well, so had he. All he needed was a moment and he didn't care how he got that moment. And there was one thing that had always angered Katsuki more than anything else. Something that he always dismissed. It would give that moment.

Izuku sniffed, swallowing hard and letting his eyes go wide as he looked at his old friend. The expression was, frankly, pathetic. It was truly one Deku would have made. Izuku sniffed again, letting tears form in his eyes. "I had… to, Kacchan," he managed to say, the catch in his voice making him stutter. The tears escaped, making slightly cleaner trails down his carbon stained face.

"They forced me," he continued voice breaking as he cried.

Bakugou continued advancing. "Fucking Deku! That won't work!" He didn't appear moved. It was time to bring out the bigger guns.

"Kacchan," Izuku cried, before he sniffed, bringing up one hand to use the heel of his hand to wipe at his tears. All he did was smear them over his face. "Kacchan, please. They were going to kill…" He paused, best not to mention Inko. That would spark Kacchan's anger, not his disgust, but he could still work with the statement. "They were going to kill _you_ ," he begged, crying. He looked up at Bakugou. "Please, Kacchan. Help," he gasped, "me," Izuku finished brokenly.

That did the trick. He could see it in Kacchan's eyes. The vigilante had the slightest doubt, and he was close enough.

"Please," Izuku said again, eyes still streaming tears and his expression locked into one of deep regret. "Help me," he repeated, stepping forward.

"Deku!" There was a softer note in Katsuki's tone. It was laced with disgust. Bakugou always hated crying but the explosions in his palms became smaller.

It was his moment. Izuku moved. Unlike their last physical confrontation, they were roughly the same height but Imoku had the advantage. He lunged forward, keeping his expression pathetic. One hand went to Bakugou's chest. He hadn't managed to isolate the right signal but that was okay. That was the subtle way that didn't leave an outside mark. He could still use that trick. He released a shower of sparks, driving them into Katsuki's body. It was like a defibrillator.

Bakugou was caught off guard for that singular moment. He stiffened in pain but retaliated. "Fucking Deku!" he managed to scream, and slammed his hands on Imoku's back, exploding them.

The politician winced at the pain before he snarled at his old friend, and pushed his sparks harder. He could feel his own flesh burning, but he could also sense Bakugou's heart stuttering.

The vigilante staggered backwards, grabbing at his chest. "Deku! Fucker, you couldn't have won in a fair fight." The vigilante choked the words.

Imoku rolled his shoulders, judging the damage on his back. He was definitely going to blister. Bakugou pulled at his shirt, exposing his chest. There was a hand shaped burn over his heart. Izuku moved forward, punching Katsuki again. A right hook. The vigilante tried to block but couldn't and fell backwards. Izuku went with him, pinning him to the ground as he sat on his old friend's chest, his legs hooked around to pin Bakugou's arms. Even in pain, Kacchan snarled at him.

Izuku punched Katsuki again. It was a sucker punch, given that Bakugou couldn't defend himself. He didn't care. It felt good.

"I know, Kacchan," he told his friend, all trace of tears gone. He definitely knew it. In a pure fist fight, he had a chance but once you introduced quirks, Bakugou's was stronger. Izuku had learned long ago to never rely on quirks. "But do you know what the most important lesson you ever taught me was?"

Izuku put his hand over Katsuki's face, careful to avoid his biting teeth. It would require another application of his quirk to make sure Bakugou died. His heart rate was probably returning to normal now.

"I taught you nothing, you fucking Deku!" There was indignant rage in his voice. Imoku could tell Bakugou was pissed at being tricked. Well, to the victor went the spoils, and he was going to be the victor.

"No, Kacchan, you taught me the most important thing anyone has to learn!"

"What?" the vigilante demanded.

Izuku leaned forward, careful not to shift his weight enough that Katsuki could buck him off. "Life isn't fair," he whispered, before letting another round of sparks attack Bakugou. This time they were in his brain. Through Spark, Izuku could feel the way his sparks interacted with the currents in Katsuki's brain. He could feel the way they were interrupting them.

Bakugou convulsed. It was uncontrolled. He began foaming at the mouth. It was not a pretty way to die but then there wasn't really any pretty way to die. There were peaceful ways to die, and those that weren't so peaceful. This was not peaceful either. It felt as if Bakugou was still fighting him but Izuku knew it was only the physical reaction.

He stood up, tugging at his jacket to settle it correctly as he looked down at Kacchan's body. Izuku closed his eyes briefly. There were a lot of memories running riot through his head at the moment and he pushed them back into a semblance of order. Too many childhood memories had come to the surface now.

"Good bye, Kacchan," he said softly before he looked up and around the ring. There were some small fires burning and there were bits of High End everywhere, but the Noumu was not reforming. It was dead. The place was a mess. The glass on Dabi's office was shattered and the fire villain's body had been driven into the stands by the explosions.

With the noise and the exposure, the police would be here soon. Imoku reached into his jacket pocket, feeling for his phone. Thankfully it was still there. He pulled it out. It was still in working order but he expected that. It did have a heavy duty protective case and was hardened against electrical shocks. There were enough people with electrical quirks that such hardening had become common enough. He taped the number from memory.

"Kurogiri," Imoku said, when the warp villain picked up.

"Imoku," the other man greeted him.

"Transportation would be appreciated," Imoku didn't waste time with explanations. The faster he was out of here, the better. "Two portals," he added, remembering Dabi's underling who had been listening in. If he was still alive, then he would need to be dealt with. "The corridor outside Dabi's office, and the fighting ring," Imoku gave the locations, knowing Kurogiri would know them.

As expected a portal opened in front of him. Kurogiri's eyes formed within it. Imoku nodded at the warp villain before he stepped forward without hesitation. Looking back meant regrets and he had none, though he was slightly surprised that it ended today.

But it was over.

Imoku frowned slightly as plans ran through his mind. Mirio wasn't the only one who was campaigning for the return of heroes but he was the most serious threat, and he was gone. The others could be brought into line easily enough. The government would change at the election and the incoming Prime Minister had been turning to him for solutions since they met. With the loss of Dabi, Twice, Mustard and Ujiko the League was now ready to be remoulded. Those members had been a liability. The ones he raised up wouldn't ever be able to identify him. Imoku was sure that they would chafe at his control but it was merely a matter of control, and he would control them. And Kacchan...

A few years ago, he would have smiled. He would have felt as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He would have felt free. Now, he felt nothing of that. Katsuki was dead. The world would simply know that the vigilante ExplodoKill took on something that was too much for him.

Imoku would know the truth. That he had attempted to pull him down, to once again dominate him as he had in their childhood. But he had turned the tables, and this time, it was Izuku who had dominated, because he had the power.

Imoku smiled. Sensei had been right. It was about power and once you had power, it was about how you used that power. Bakugou had obeyed his power. Not just the quirk Sensei had given him but the plan he had laid out.

Now, when he looked into the future, Izuku could see his power. Others could see his power. And they knew, he would use it. Because it took power to make the choices and the sacrifices necessary to save everyone. At least, everyone who could be saved.

And that was his choice to make.

 **-afop-**

 _Now, now my good man, this is no time to be making enemies._ (Voltaire on his deathbed in response to a priest asking him that he renounce Satan.)

What I really hope Bakugou thought because he needs all the friends he can get.

I have a couple of alternate versions of the last bit but I'll post them as chapter later.


	32. Part 2: Epilogue

**Part 2: Epilogue**

Kirishima looked at his friend's body. No one had touched it, after the medics had made their pronouncement. Bakugou was dead. Given the spittle on his lips and the pained expression on his face, which accompanied the hand shaped burns, he had not died easily. The special forces officer couldn't say he was surprised at that. What surprised him was the announcement that he had been killed by a quirk. There was no way Katsuki would have let someone close enough.

Except someone obviously had gotten close enough. The burns were too hand-like to be coincidence.

Kirishima forced himself to look away from the body as a sheet was draped over it. He looked around instead. The damage was something he expected. It told him that whatever else had happened, Bakugou had not gone down easily. And there was another body there. The medics had spent even less time looking at him. It belonged to the fire villain Dabi, the Leader of the League.

Except… the means of his death was easy to see. The small bullet wound was surprisingly precise and the evidence was pointing to Bakugou wielding the gun. His fingerprints were on it after all. But that didn't explain anything.

Why was Dabi dead? Why was Bakugou dead? Who else had been here?

They'd checked for cameras. There were none. Instead they'd found some holding pens away from the ring which was probably where the Noumu had been kept. There were papers in Dabi's office but so far nothing incriminating and they had picked up a couple of unfortunate villains who had come to work.

But nothing made sense.

Kirishima looked over to a different group. They had a reader here. She was looking around like him, but her eyes were unfocused. More than that, her eyes were not normal. She was using her quirk. Kirishima wasn't sure exactly how it worked but he knew that it would allow her to hopefully see what had happened. That's what readers did. Readers were new in the Police force. They had come into place with the integration of heroes when a proper study of quirk potential in law enforcement had been made.

He didn't feel too hopeful when she shook her head but he wandered over to listen anyway. He had his Special Forces uniform on. No one questioned his presence here.

"There's a lot of interference," she said.

"It's a very public location," her handler said. Readers generally had someone they could rely on because sometimes they got disoriented from what their quirk told them.

"There's that," she agreed. "There were four people here," she continued. "Dabi, ExplodoKill and two others."

"Who were the others?" her handler asked quickly, no doubt realising that was what all the officers wanted to know.

"That's the problem. One feels as if it is everywhere, but it's mostly there," she explained pointing to what looked to be a pile of ash.

Kirishima moved over to it, and gently poked it with his boot. He jumped back when the ash moved, revealing what looked to be a face. "Evidence!" He yelled, looking down at it.

It as definitely a face, but twisted and not normal. Not that there was a set normal these days. Some quirks moved facial features around a lot. Tokoyami was an example of that. He had a beak instead of a mouth.

Several forensic people rushed over. They cleared the ash away. Kirishima saw bits of what had to be brain matter poke through it. And an eye. He didn't recognise it exactly but he knew the pattern. "Noumu," he muttered.

They heard. "Sir?"

"It's a Noumu," Kirishima told them. The memory of the last one he'd seen coming to mind. He wasn't the only officer to be surprised.

"It's everywhere," the reader said, loud enough to be heard. They were all at the bottom of the ring. It had surprisingly good acoustics. Her voice travelled.

"Shit," Kirishima said. "He exploded it," he added the words.

"Sir?"

"ExplodoKill," he said Bakugou's vigilante name. "He must have exploded the Noumu," he explained, gesturing around them. There were black gobs of ash everywhere.

A couple of the officers looked sick. They looked around, seeing the evidence of what he'd said.

"That would be right," the reader said, nodding. "But because he's everywhere, he's covering the presence of the last one. The last one only became important after it was dead, and their presence is subdued."

"What do you mean?" Kirishima asked. They _needed_ to know who that last person was.

The woman looked at him. "I can feel the fourth person," she said, "but I don't know who they are. Whoever they are, I haven't felt them before and their presence is muted. If the... Noumu, you called it?"

Kirishima nodded.

"If the Noumu wasn't there, I might be able to properly sense the fourth person."

And that would allow a picture to be drawn. Generally readers could either see what they sensed, or they could describe the people well enough for the sketch artists. "Just do your best," Kirishima said. The reader knew what they needed. He didn't need to remind her.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

He nodded, and looked away. He knew who Bakugou would say had been here, if the vigilante could talk.

Imoku Kakurete.

Katsuki had been going on about the independent politician for years. But there was no evidence linking Kakurete to the League, and this was definitely the result of Bakugou finding Dabi. Kirishima hoped Bakugou had been happy when he died. He'd taken out a Noumu and Dabi… the Special Forces officer hoped that gave his old friend peace.

From the expression gracing Katsuki's frozen face, Kirishima didn't think it had.

Except… whoever that forth person was, the one who had killed Bakugou, it wasn't Imoku Kakurete. The man was on the campaign trail. He had an alibi. And no matter what Bakugou said, there was no link between the almost fifty Kakurete and the should be late twenties Midoriya besides Izuku Midoriya's now deceased Mother, who had been one of Kakurete's campaign team.

The conspiracy theory wasn't a real one, at least not outside of Bakugou's mind.

Kirishima looked over at his captain.

"This should be interesting for the League," he said conversationally. With their Leader dead, who knows what would happen.

"Chaos," Captain Shirei said shortly.

"Maybe," Kirishima replied. "They obviously didn't expect ExplodoKill but the League has always been quick to recover."

"The League has never lost a leader who had ten years experience," the Captain countered.

Kirishima nodded but he wasn't convinced it would be chaos. He just had a feeling. "We'll deal with it though," he assured his captain.

"We have to," Shirei told him. "It's our job."

And really, no matter the mess here, that was the final word on the matter.

-afop-

 **TIME FOR CHANGE!**

 _Yatou Rida last night claimed an unexpectedly narrow victory in the national election. While his party has wrested control of the House of Representatives from former Prime Minister Kiyoshi Takenaka's party, their majority is slim._

 _The victors of the night are the independents. Lead by Imoku Kakurete they have taken control of a record 70 seats in the House. This gives the incoming Prime Minister Yatou Rida a majority but it is not secure and he would be well served by courting the Independents. However, the election results make on thing very clear, Independent Representative Kakurete does not need the support of any party, as his constituents have returned him as their Representative by the largest margin ever seen by any candidate. He won a huge 70% of the vote in his electorate, which makes him the most secure Representative in the House._

 _Yatou Rida will be able to form a government, but the narrowness of the result should serve as a warning to him that he needs to truly represent the people. It is assured that the Independants, lead by Kakurete will be reminding him of that, which just proves that Kakurete is a true hero to the Japanese people._

Imoku smiled at the paper. The article was rather flattering, and it wasn't even written by one of Phoenix Wave's assets. He'd already sent his congratulations to Yatou and commiserations to Takenaka. Both men had accepted them with good grace though Imoku could tell Yatou was disappointed about his majority. Imoku had reminded him that he had a majority.

No one really wanted a minority government, but if it came to it, he had assured Yatou that he could be relied upon. The new Prime Minister was smart enough to realise that his support would come with conditions. But that wasn't anything Yatou needed to worry about yet. He had a majority, because even a slim majority was a majority.

Still… Things could change in politics. And they could change quickly.

Imoku looked over to his desk, where there were several files. So long as Yatou remained tractable, he wouldn't need them but he did like to have insurance. The best bit was Yatou didn't even know the potential scandals existed, so he couldn't mitigate against them.

Though if Yatou did well, maybe Imoku could increase that majority. After Masami experienced being a Shadow Minister for a while, he could probably remind her why she had gone into politics and pull her over into independence… especially if Takenaka demoted her…

The election was a demotion in and of itself, but if he appointed a different Shadow Foreign Minister and returned her to the back bench then… Yes, she'd become an independent quickly enough.

Imoku smiled. That was the future and that path wasn't decided, but there were so many possibilities and he had time to pick between them all.

-afop-

Captain Shirei looked around the small storage area. It had been brought to his attention as part of the murder investigation for Shouta Aizawa. The current theory was that the former underground hero, turned private investigator had possibly been engaged in some illegal hero work when he had been killed. Said illegal work was with the now dead vigilante who called himself ExplodoKill, real name Katsuki Bakugou who had been wanted for questioning on the Mustard Midnight double homicide. The Captain wasn't a fool. Questioning would have lead to an arrest, and then another warrant for Dabi's arrest, which probably would have gone nowhere.

It was very tempting just to say that since they were all dead, the case was closed except… They had managed to match genetic material from the Noumu at Dabi's fighting ring to blood samples taken at the cemetery where Aizawa and Candidate Toogata had been killed.

The Noumu was dead but there was one person unaccounted for in the fighting ring. The person who had actually killed Bakugou. He might have been a vigilante, but everyone deserved justice.

Which was why the case couldn't be closed and why he was here.

Investigations had found the storage area, and a warrant had been granted. Though they had also gotten permission from Hizashi Yamada, former hero Present Mic, who had also been on the storage rooms rent payment summary, to enter here. Hizashi had told them that the storage was for things he and Aizawa had used when they were heroes.

There was nothing illegal with that. Heroes had been able to keep some of their gear. Especially Hizashi. His voice modulation equipment was primarily for public safety and no one had wanted to take some of the keepsakes from heroes.

Now he was looking at the boxes of stuff. It had been well packed but the forensics team had gone through it looking for evidence. They hadn't found anything much, except some fingerprints. Most came from Shouta but there had been a cheer when they found some from Bakugou.

It established the link between the former underground pro-hero and the vigilante. Hizashi had claimed that they'd never met here but obviously they had. The radio presenter had admitted that he knew Shouta had been talking to Katsuki and possibly working on something but he was being tight lipped on what.

Given ExplodoKill's artefacts had been found earlier, it wasn't hard to figure out what. The only question that remained as if Aizawa has shared the vigilante's delusions.

So far, they had found nothing to support that. The boxes just contained Shouta's old hero gear and some files from cases he'd taken soon after reintegration. Nothing illegal, nothing out of place.

But Captain Shirei had a feeling that they were missing something. After all, _something_ had lead Aizawa to be in that cemetery with Candidate Toogata, and something had then murdered them. It had been a horrific scene, almost as bad as Dabi's fighting ring. The Captain had expected gore at Dabi's fighting ring. He had not expected it at a suburban cemetery. He was just thankful that no one from the public had been caught up in that.

That there were victims were bad enough but it would be worse if they were innocent. Given that there was history between Aizawa and Toogata, he _knew_ that there was a reason they were dead.

Infact, that could be the reason Sir Nighteye was dead as well, or at least related to it. They could all be involved in some sort of conspiracy.

Captain Shirei shook his head. They should have just reintegrated. They would have been happier then. Not dead but he guessed some heroes couldn't let go of the past. There was ample evidence of that.

He looked around the storage room. They had to be missing something. He examined all the boxes, running his eyes over them. None of them had false bottoms or anything like that. They were cardboard. Captain Shirei's eyes moved over the walls. He looked in the corners, examining them carefully. There was nothing lurking there but… He felt his eyes narrow. There was a tiny mark on the floor.

That wasn't anything special, he told himself. The floor was cheap. The storage people made their money from rent, not from fixing marks on the floor. Except his eyes kept going to it, tracing out the mark as it ran all the way to the back wall. Wait! That was it. The mark went under the wall. That wasn't right.

Captain Shirei tapped the side walls. They were hollow. They lead to the storage rooms on either side. He tapped the back wall. The sound was different. Just a bit, just enough to mean he couldn't dismiss his thoughts about the mark. He kept tapping his knuckle against the wall. It sounded different in places.

That could mean that the boxes on the other side were packed up against the wall but it wasn't right for that. There were hollow areas under where other bits had sounded solid. That wasn't right for a well packed room and when he tapped in the corner… The wall moved.

Carefully Captain Shirei applied more force. The wall slipped and revealed that it wasn't a wall at all. It was a board. Particle board, made to look like one of the internal walls. He pulled it away, slipping it against the floor and looked behind it.

His eyes widened. There were photos there, pinned up against a backing board, with string linking them in what seemed to be random patterns. He put the concealing board down and stepped back. There was enough room to do that, and suddenly the way this room had been packed made sense. Only a few boxes had been hard up against the back wall. They would be quick enough to move so that Aizawa could look at this.

Captain Shirei recognised a case board when he saw it. The strings were colourful and connected to photos of people he recognised. Dabi, Mustard, Himiko Toga, Kurogiri, Ujiko… All the major members of the League. Tomura Shigaraki's picture was there too, as was All For One's. There were black marks around their images, the same with Mustard's and Ujiko's…

The Captain knew it meant they were dead. Aizawa had been updating the board.

He looked at the strings. They all lead to one person. The Captain lifted his eyes to the top of the board, looking at the image.

Even with all the strings attached to it, so many strings that it almost concealed the image, he recognised it. Imoku Kakurete. The Representative Kakurete.

Captain Shirei breathed out and just stared for a few moments before he shook his head. "Aizawa, you fool," he muttered.

The underground hero should have known how dangerous it was to go up against politicians. And going up against one like Kakurete, who was both popular and influential… that was suicide.

The Captain reached out and unpinned the photo. He put the pin back, placing it slightly higher, through the question mark that had been over Kakurete's image. He was careful to make sure he didn't disturb the strings as he put the picture in his pocket. Then he looked at the board, nodding to himself when he saw there was no outline to give away that there had been a photo there. He could only do that much modification without risk. If he moved anything else, then his fingerprints might come up. Best to be careful. .

"I found something," Captain Shirei called. That brought the forensic team running.

They skidded to a halt at the door and he heard them gasp when they saw the true back wall of the storage unit. He turned away from it as several team members rushed in.

This was just more evidence for the case… a case that appeared would not be solved today.

He had a feeling it would not be solved any day.

-afop-

Despite being dressed in prison orange, Yū Takeyama was still filled with rage. No one was taking her seriously. No one saw the danger and no one was doing anything!

She had felt a slight regret when informed of the woman's death but she had gotten in the way! Why didn't anyone understand that? The woman, Inko, she'd been told, had just gotten in the way. She shouldn't have interfered. No one had interfered when Shinji had been killed. They'd simply watched. They'd let the League do what they want.

They'd let him burn.

Yū took a deep, shuddering breath at the thought. He'd screamed and screamed, and screamed and no one had done anything. She could still remember it.

The police never hunted for Dabi. They knew who killed Shinji. They knew who it was, but they always claimed they couldn't find Dabi. They couldn't find the League!

That's why she'd acted. She'd had to act and she couldn't find Dabi but she'd found something even better. She'd found the man who destroyed heroes. She found the man who had made it so that Dabi could walk away. It was all his fault! He was the one who had killed heroes.

And yet, she was the one in prison. She was the one lying on a lumpy bed, with a quirk suppressing anklet as the waited for her trial.

At this time of night the prison was quiet. If Yū concentrated she could hear the tread of the guards but they were faint. At night they relied on cameras.

It was because of the quiet that she heard the whisper of noise from the far end of her cell. Yū pretended to be asleep but she looked down there. The back of her cell was in shadow but it was darker now, and swirling?

She was hard pressed to keep her eyes mostly closed. Someone stepped out of the shadow, confirming her suspicions that the swirling was a warp gate.

Kurogiri, she identified the quirk user. And the person who had come… a woman. Blonde hair and yellow eyes. Himiko. Yū knew all the League's main members. The blonde looked around, spotting her on the bunk before she smiled as someone else emerged from the warp gate.

"You can sit up you know," Toga told her. The villain knew she wasn't sleeping.

Yū opened her eyes and sat up. The warp gate closed but before she could move, the second person crowded close to her. Yū lashed out, hitting them, but it was like hitting concrete. They didn't even grunt and Yū felt something grab her wrists, bringing her hands together and hauling her upwards before turning to face Himiko.

The woman smiled at her. Yū kicked out. She couldn't reach Himiko and while she felt herself impact with whoever was holding her, they didn't react. She was sure she'd kicked between the legs, and that was painful, even if it was a woman holding her.

"You aren't going to be able to escape," Himiko told her, as she drew a large hunting knife. "Oh wait!" the woman giggled to herself, putting the knife down. She patted down her clothes looking for something.

"What are you doing here?" Yū hissed.

"You can speak normally," Himiko said as she continued to pat her clothes. "Ah, there it is," she said eventually, reaching a hand into one of her pockets to pull something out.

Yū recognised it as a camera.

"The rest of the cameras have been disabled," Himiko told her, pointing to them with her free hand before she fussed with the one she'd brought, and set it on the side of the basin so that it was pointed at Yū.

"What? That's impossible!" Yū growled. She had a bad feeling about this. She struggled harder. Someone had to hear her right?

Himiko chuckled. "The boss is really pissed at you," she told Yū. "He's gone all out."

"What?" Yū gasped. The boss… who the fuck did that mean? Dabi? Except she'd heard he was dead. Who? "Help!" She screamed.

Himiko gestured at the thing holding her. Yū was surprised when it slammed her into the wall. She shook her head, as her vision wavered. Not much had been able to hurt her.

"You can scream all you want, but no one is going to hear," Himiko told her. "And unless you are screaming for me, it will just annoy me," the villain added.

"How?" Yū managed to say.

"Forcefield," Himiko said, pointing to something in the corner.

Yū knew what her cell looked like, even in the dark. There wasn't meant to be anything in that corner so she had to take the villain's word it was a forcefield. It probably was. No one had complained at her yelling.

"You pissed him off," Himiko said conversationally, "so now you have to deal with the consequences," she added in a singsong voice. "The guards are bribed. Your fellow inmates aren't going to say anything, and it will be worth their while do remain silent, and the cameras are all corrupted. Except for this one," she added happily, reaching out to pat the camera she had brought. "He wants this one… And I have the entire night with you."

"No!" Yū shook her head. "No, that's not-"

"Not what?" Himiko asked, cocking her head. There was a cold fire burning in her eyes. It did not fit what Yū knew of the League member.

"It's not right," Yū managed to say.

Himiko shook her head. "You don't get to decide what's right or wrong," the villain told her. "And you hurt him."

"Who?!" Yū objected. She had targeted Imoku, not the League's boss. She'd gotten some stupid civilian woman who was enamored of the politician. It hadn't been her intention but there were always casualties in war, and that's what this was. A war against the League. One she was fighting alone.

"Imoku liked her," Himiko said as if that was all the explanation needed.

"What? Imoku?" How did Imoku know Himiko?

The villain smiled at her. "Imoku hates you," Toga told her. "And when the boss hates something, he destroys it. You killed her and he liked her." The villain's voice took on a sing song note as she explained. It made the entire situation unreal.

Yū knew she hadn't been the smartest hero. On that score, Kamui had been far better, but she wasn't stupid, especially when the information was presented so blatantly. Toga had definitely said Imoku and the boss in the same sentence. She had referred to them as the one being… A hundred little things suddenly make sense and she could see the way the politician had manipulated them all. "I wasn't after he- Argh!" her sentence was broken off when Himiko flung her knife at her. It sank into her shoulder.

"You hurt him," Himiko said again pointedly, coming close and wrenching her knife out. She grinned. Her teeth were white in the gloom. "And he's given me the entire night to make sure you regret it."

-afop-

Izuku stood alone in his office. He was looking out at the city. The lights were bright, and from his vantage, he could see all the way into the suburbs where the streetlights illuminated smaller laneways and houses. He couldn't see the houses, but he could see dark patches where there were parks and other areas. It was a beautiful sight. Dark but with dazzling highlights. He felt his lips stretch into a smile as he watched it.

He had come in early. Very early, before dawn. Hesho knew he sometimes did and his executive assistant would be here if Imoku let him but he didn't. That was take away from the quiet. It was a time just for himself, when he could work, and think without interruption. He had completed some papers earlier but had moved to stand here some time ago. His office lights were off, making it mesmerising, just watching the way the lights moved.

He took a deep breath, blowing it out in a sigh before taking another. Izuku touched his fingers to his cheek, not surprised to feel the tears there. He bit his lip as emotion threatened to overcome him. If anyone could see him now… His business rivals, any of the other Representatives, anyone from the Underworld… Izuku snorted. They would never believe he was their boss.

But this was time for him. He had everything he ever wanted. Unquestioned control over the government, with no one even realising it. Commanding control over the business world, with most companies following his lead without knowing why. Undeclared control over the underworld, though with the recent losses in the League, that control would be tested soon. He knew it, and he was looking forward to the games and manipulations required to ensure his victory.

He was the Leader of Japan in every way that mattered, much like Sensei had been before him.

No. Izuku's lips quirked. That wasn't right. Sensei had ruled from the shadows. He was… It was wrong to say he was afraid to be seen, because Izuku knew that wasn't the case. Sensei was just more circumspect with his dealings. Izuku was more open. At least, officially. That was accurate.

He was the Leader of Japan, in every way that mattered.

No comparisons to the past were needed because the past was the past. This was now.

And now, he had to decide where he wanted to go, what he wanted to do.

Heroes were gone. They would remain gone. It had taken the new Prime Minister, Yatou Rida all of two weeks to come around to his view. The man had been fixated on the idealism of heroes but within two weeks of becoming the Prime Minister, he had learned the economics of heroes. It probably helped that Izuku had instructed the Treasury to ensure he got the figures laid out very clearly on that. There was no need to confuse the man.

That being done, it didn't matter what anyone who still took their lead from other countries thought about Heroes, they would only gather those attracted to the romanticism of the idea. Those who were grounded in reality, thankfully a larger percentage, would not give in to purely romantic ideas, especially when the economics were so bad.

Opening quirk usage to the general populace had led to a huge boost in earnings. The Government made money from the licence fees. They made money from the fines issues when someone used their quirk illegally. They just made money, which was feed back to the police and military to ensure they had the tools needed to take down those few morons who thought they could be a villain. There were always those who acted at random.

Heroes were gone. What remained of the League would be under control in the next few months, and removed enough from him that they were no longer a liability. It meant he could now pick a new direction, a new future to pursue.

Izuku frowned. It was an odd thought. What did he want?

There was no answer forthcoming from his mind. Or rather the answers that came were small, petty little things.

His phone pinged, distracting him. Izuku glanced back at his desk. In the predawn darkness it was hard to see but he could make out a small swirl of deeper darkness. It disappeared quickly, leaving a small package on his desk. He felt his lips quirk. He knew what it was.

Himiko had spent the night educating Yū Takeyama. Imoku moved to his desk and picked up package Kurogiri had delivered. He sat in the darkness, and opened the phone. There was only two applications left on the phone. One to make calls, and the other to take the video. He taped the video app. There was only one file. Six and a half hours long. Himiko had been thorough. The phone was almost out of charge though. He closed it, and put it in his breast pocket, buttoning up the fabric. Now was not the time or place to watch it.

But it was one of his desires and it was one he would savour.

What else did he want from the future? He wasn't sure.

Izuku sat at his desk, ignoring the gloom around him. He sighed. Fulfilling All For One's goals had been easy, and he had, over the last year, fulfilled his own goal. Taking down Bakugou was… It shouldn't be the only thing he wanted. He knew that.

So if his heart had no goal, he had to deal with this logically. After all, even when his heart gave him direction, he had to use his head to get there.

Firstly, he wanted, no _needed_ to maintain his power. On the official front, Yatou was in his pocket, as were enough of the independents, so he could keep Yatou in power, or not as the situation demanded. The opposition was in the process of selecting a new leader, and he knew all the candidates, so that was in hand. In the underworld, though Dabi, and several more of the League's acknowledged leaders were dead, he controlled those who were loyal, and they would ensure that the new selection would obey him, without ever knowing who he was. In that, he would be very much like All For One. Izuku anticipated a challenge there, but it wouldn't take long.

Which meant his power was secure. He'd always have to guard his power but for the moment, that could be a secondary task. He needed something to focus on.

Quirkless rights was a vague thought, except he'd already seen to that. He'd done it in the aftermath of the Hero's Reintegration. He'd introduced the legislation into Parliament then to show Heroes what true Heroes should have been fighting for, rather than the glory that they strived to achieve. He'd found several people who had already been working for Quirkless rights and, after the Legislation was passed, legislation that was named after Izuku, he had ensured that those people were awarded several accolades in recognition of their truly heroic work.

Again, quirkless rights was not something that required his whole attention.

What he really needed was a challenge!

But what?

International affairs? He could probably get himself appointed to the UN but what did he want with other countries? Some were already beginning to follow Japan's lead. They were dismantling their Hero systems. Others never had hero systems to begin with. Others were sticking to them. It would be their loss. It was not his job to dictate to other countries what they should do.

Izuku snorted at the thought. His job was just Japan.

He looked over at the window. It was still dark outside but the sun would be rising soon. Maybe he should start looking for a successor. One of the reasons All For One's vision had been achieved was that he had thought about the future. He was wise enough to know that his time was over.

Izuku knew his time was not yet over, and it was too soon to teach someone. In another twenty years, he'd do it then. In the meantime…

What? Gather wealth? Gather influence? He had all of them, and he was not so foolish to desire absolute control. He was not a tyrant. There had to be some dissent or else people resented their government. You could not save everyone if they were all fighting against you.

Maybe he should blacken Katsuki's reputation further. Except his former childhood friend had done an impressive job of that without too much input from him. He'd needed Bakugou to take out those of the League who were a liability. His old friend had taken out Compress before he was ready but that had been a minor hiccup. He'd now taken out Twice, Ujiko and and Dabi and that was roughly when he wanted. Katsuki had done that, and had taken out Mustard as well. Izuku hadn't needed him gone but sometimes sacrifices had to be made. But Bakugou had done his work in such a way that his reputation was also ruined.

No one had cried at Kacchan's funeral, not even his mother, who had simply looked tired and resigned. The Police were actually pissed Bakugou was dead, since it meant they couldn't prosecute him.

Everything there had gone to plan. He'd go so far as to say perfectly to plan.

Izuku sighed deeply before he rose again, moving to the window.

The sun was rising and his office afforded him a brilliant view of it. Izuku watched the light crest the horizon. It spread out in a brilliant line just before the sun peeked above the land. The line contracted into the burning disk of the sun as it lifted higher.

Izuku sighed again. It was more relaxed this time. He didn't have to decide today. Or tomorrow. For the moment, it would be business as usual. He was sure something would come up. All For One always said he mustn't lose heart.

Izuku smiled at the sun. He wasn't Tomura, who didn't know what to do with his victory. He still had things to do. There were still policies that would be made better. There were still people who needed to be saved. Maybe though, things were not as consuming as those events that had gone before, but there things to do and he was sure, in time, inspiration would come, for something greater. Something he could use to ensure that everyone remained saved.

He had to be positive, because when he was positive, good things happened. Izuku had enough examples of that. Heroes, the League, and Bakugou.

All he had to do was be patient. Something would come. Something always did.

He would be ready.

 **-afop-**

 _The End_

 **-afop-**

Epilogue note: I can see some questions now :D Is Captain Shirei on Imoku's payroll? That's up to you. He might be, and thus he's protecting Imoku, or he might not be but knows that the board would be destroyed if it had anything about Imoku on it, so he's waiting to collect better evidence. You can decide.

 **-afop-**

Fic note: The first part of the fic involved a bit more politics, but in the second part, Izuku behaved a bit more like a traditional villain, because his enemies were conspiring against him and we know what that means.

Where to now for Japan... Well, I foresee them becoming a super power based on the sensible use of human abilities and then on wards... All because of Izuku's leadership. He won't be becoming the Prime Minister of Japan as he is an independent and it would look very, very odd even if he could become the PM. He could, because he could convince everyone in Parliament to vote for him and that's really all it takes, but then there would be some suspicion of mind control and he's worked hard to avoid that. Plus I think he's a bit busy!

The next couple of chapters are a wish fulfillment chapter and an alternate version of the end scenes.

Thank you for reading. And if you haven't left a review, feel free, no matter how long it has been. They are always appreciated.


	33. Extra: Wish Fulfillment

**Wish Fulfillment**

"That went better than I expected it to," Keisatsu Shocho commented, sitting back, and finally relaxing for the first time that day. Keisatsu was the Police Commissioner and had been in charge of organising security for the State Funeral of Representative Imoku Kakurete. It had been a nightmare she was honoured to be given.

Kakurete had done so much for Japan, and the world. He was… He had been the best statesman the country had ever seen. That much was certain.

But he had secrets, secrets which had only come out with his death. Secrets she wasn't sure what to feel about them.

"They did warn you they were coming," Meina Dobaiza pointed out.

"That doesn't make it any better," Keisatsu snapped.

"Be thankful they warned you," Meina pressed.

Keisatsu just glared at Meina for that. Meina grinned, he knew what the glare was for, and truthfully he couldn't fault Shocho's reaction. It wasn't every day that several very high profile members of the underworld told you that they would be coming to the State Funeral. It wasn't every day that they actually showed up, in the same type of limo as any of the other VIPs, and dressed in mourning.

It was the reason they came that was frustrating Keiatsu. The underworld representatives had said quite clearly and frankly that they were there to honour the former Head of the Underworld.

The Head of the Underworld. The man (or woman) Keisatsu was meant to catch. And the underworld was claiming that it had been Imoku Kakurete. A man the entire country honoured.

"What do you think the press will say?" Keisatsu asked, attempting to change the subject slightly. It was too difficult to think that Kakurete had been the Head of the Underworld, and the politician who had near universal approval.

It didn't help that off the record, several of those from the underworld had approached her after the funeral to assure her that the Underworld would not devolve into chaos with Imoku's death. He had apparently set up a strong succession plan, and had been semi-retired for years. The acting head, someone they refused to identify, had been leading them for the past few years, taking Imoku's advice at times but generally learning the ropes.

"They won't say anything," Meina replied firmly. "Pimiko won't let them."

Pimiko was Kakurete's daughter. She had taken over much of his commercial empire and had proven to be as economically astute as her father. She had been at the funeral, standing to one side of her mother, Himiko Kakurete, Imoku's much younger wife. There had been a bit of a scandal when they married. Many had accused Himiko of simply being after a sugar daddy. They had accused Imoku of being just a dirty old man, especially as he hadn't married until his mid-fifties and then had married a woman half his age. Yet they had both gone to 'until death do they part' with not so much as a whisper of scandal. As far as anyone could tell, Imoku had been devoted to Himiko, and she had been equally devoted to him.

Himiko had been supported by both of her children at the funeral. Koshaku had stood on her other side. Koshaku hadn't entered Imoku's businesses. He was still at university, completing a Masters of Law. He was expected to become a lawyer, though he would probably get quite a boost from his sister.

Meina knew Keisatsu had thought about the possibility of Koshaku being the new Head of the Underworld. It would make some sort of sense, that Imoku had left his legitimate businesses to his daughter, and his illegitimate business to his son, but in the very brief time Keisatsu had known the information, in between organising the security for Imoku's funeral, she had confirmed that Koshaku had absolutely nothing to do with the underworld. And there had been a lot of eyes on the underworld figures at the funeral. They had not even looked at Koshaku. There would have been some indication there if they knew each other. There wasn't.

"That's illegal," Keisatsu reminded Meina. Freedom of the press was one of the things the country relied upon.

"She's not going to let anyone tarnish her father's name," Meina repeated.

Keisatsu sighed. She couldn't really blame Pimiko. And if she was honest, it would be so much easier for her if no one asked questions as to why the underworld figures had been there. It would be better for all involved if they were just reported as being there simply to honour a great man.

But… She sighed. With what she knew now, she wasn't sure she could ever think of Imoku as great again and that was a very uncomfortable feeling. He had been her enemy, but he had been an enemy she hadn't even realised existed.

Or rather, she had known the Head of the Underworld existed but Kakurete had never ever been on the list of suspects. She felt like she had been played. Keisatsu felt… She didn't know what she felt. Used. And there was nothing she could do about it. If it was a game, then Kakurete had won in such a way there was no possibility of her ever making it up.

And now she had to continue the hunt in the Underworld knowing that Kakurete had trained his successor, and knowing that she had never found Imoku. As the Police Commissioner, it made her feel sick.

"I'll have a chat with Pimiko at some stage. She can cover this up, but I will want all the information she finds about the underworld." Reporters heard a lot, and Pimiko practically ran the press. For the good of the country, Pimiko had to tell her.

Meina nodded. "Don't think about it," he advised her.

"Don't think about it?" Keisatsu questioned, her voice full of disbelief.

"Do you really trust those from the underworld that much, to be telling you the truth about Imoku?" He asked.

Did she? That was the real question. She wanted to answer no, she didn't trust them but… There was a note of truth when they told her that and one of the burdens of her quirk was that she had a feeling when people were lying to her. There had been no feeling when they had spoken to her. But Keisatsu recognised the point of Meina's question. It was the other reason Pimiko wouldn't let her father's name be tarnished.

But… But…

Keisatsu sighed heavily. She didn't know what to think. For now, she put it out of her mind. It was making her tense again, and there would be time enough over the coming days for her to process. She had, after all, known the Underworld people were coming today. She had just held out the hope that they had told her that as a joke or some sort of sick way to tarnish Kakurete's reputation. But their presence lent credence to their words.

"How do you reconcile that?" she asked.

"Reconcile what?"

"Reconcile that Imoku was possibly both the best public servant this country has ever seen, yet the Head of the Underworld?"

Meina shook his head. "I don't," he admitted. "I look upon it as making him even greater. He controlled them, remember that. If he truly was the Head of the Underworld, he controlled them, which means that they were acting as he wanted, which means they were not running wild. That means he was still a great public servant."

Keisatsu nodded. That made sense but… Did it make him great, or did it make them stupid?

She was afraid of the answer.

 **-afop-**

This is titled Wish Fulfillment for a number of reasons.

Way back, I jokingly said I'd enjoy writing a scene at Izuku's death, where he is being praised as the greatest Statesman of all time, when the underworld shows up to show their respects - to the boss, and the surprise that causes to the establishment.

Many people liked the fluffy moments between Izuku and Himiko, and while it's true Izuku is closer to Himiko than others, and she does like him, for the marriage/publically known relationship to happen between Himiko and Izuku, you have to ignore the following:

1\. The 20 to 25 year age gap between them. While Izuku was aged up and Himiko's age is unclear, there is that much difference between them, which while I know can work, isn't really that romantic.

2\. The scandal the age difference would have caused. Gold digger, sugar daddy, cradle robber… oh the list is almost endless for them both.

3\. Himiko's very established criminal record which includes whatever she did before she got into the League and a very long history with the League which includes assault, murder (Tomura, Ujiko and Sir Nighteye), conspiracy to murder (Kamui Woods) and a host of other charges, such as using her quirk without a license. Tomura and Ujiko might have been bad guys too but it's still murder. Short of having Himiko come forward, prepared to spill the beans on _every_ other League member, in exchange for amnesty, I can't see a way of pardoning her, and every other League member would include Imoku which defeats the purpose. And I'm not sure that would be enough to get her amnesty but that's a purely academic discussion.


	34. Extra: Alternate Ending Scenes

**Alternate Ending Scenes**

The bang echoed through the ring but was quickly drowned as Katsuki cursed. He made a throwing gesture, and Izuku recognised the gun as it was cast away. Bakugou shook his hand. He'd been burnt. Dabi's fire had hit him, or the gun at least. "Ha!" He barked.

Imoku looked towards Dabi. The fire villain was still standing but there was a shocked look on his face. And a perfect hole in his forehead. His body crumpled.

"Fuck! I needed him!" Izuku growled, snarling the words at his old friend.

"Fucker!" Katsuki swore again, still shaking his hand, and not paying attention to him.

Imoku turned back to High End. "Kill him," he ordered.

"Fight!" The Noumu cheered the word, and charged.

Bakugou might still be complaining about the burn on his hand but he was quick to react. Izuku retreated back to the tunnel High End had emerged from. He glanced at Dabi. The Fire Villain really was dead. That was… annoying. His mind immediately began working on what steps he'd have to take now to ensure he wasn't detected here. There might be camera feeds here. He wasn't sure. He'd have to check before he left.

High End swung one arm at Katsuki. The vigilante dodged, thrusting his uninjured hand towards the Noumu and exploding it. One thing Izuku could say about Bakugou was that his old friend knew when not to hold back. He wasn't now. The explosion was powerful. Izuku saw it actually scorch and burn High End's abdomen. The Noumu felt it as well. It didn't hiss even as the muscle and skin healed, it was the opposite. High End was excited.

"Fight!" He told Bakugou in a happy tone. "Good fight!"

The vigilante took the initiative, throwing punches and enhancing each with explosions. Izuku could tell that his old friend wanted nothing more than for him to be on the receiving end of those punches but High End wasn't going to allow that.

The Noumu closed with Bakugou. Imoku couldn't see much but he could hear the continuous detonation of explosions. He saw High End's skin char and blacken and heal again and again. His eyes narrowed. It was definitely slower. Maybe he should help… he could stop an explosion or two, but he knew High End would not approve. Instead he focused on Katsuki. Stopping a heart was a difficult job, he had to get a feel for the currents in Kacchan's body.

He was sure that High End would win, but Izuku hadn't got to where he was by not being willing to plan for contingencies.

"Fucker!" Bakugou snarled, jumping back. He pulled something from the belt he had on.

High End let him go. Imoku had seen the Noumu fight in this ring before. He tended to allow his challengers to try a few things. Even though Imoku had ordered him to kill, he imagined High End would revert to his norms here. Bakugou would die though. He just had to be patient.

It gave him time to plan. Fuck! He looked over to Dabi's body. Izuku shook his head. He really needed Dabi. The fire villain had been reliable and content. It was that second virtue that interested Imoku. Dabi wasn't going to challenge him.

A smile stretched across Imoku's features. If he was thinking that, he was being lazy. Dabi had established he was the Leader of the League and there was still Kurogiri, Himiko and Spinner around who would support him. If none of them wanted the leadership position, they could promote someone.

It would be a challenge to keep that unknown in line. It would be fun. And he'd need something to do, since most of his enemies had rather courteously managed to die. After all, it wasn't like controlling the current Opposition Leader, and likely soon to be Prime Minister, Yatou Rida was going to be difficult.

Losing Dabi was a pain but it would work out in the long run. Infact, it might be better. He had been complacent today, given that underling had been listening in. He needed the challenge. Besides, it's not like whoever was chosen wouldn't trust him.

Izuku turned his attention back to the fight in time to see Bakugou charge at High End. The thing he had taken from his belt was in one hand and Izuku had a sinking idea he knew what it was now.

It was confirmed a moment later when there was a huge explosion. Imoku shielded himself as best he could but in the tunnel he could still feel the blast of air and the wash of heat. High End roared from within the explosion. Imoku hunkered down, shielding his eyes as the explosion seemed to go on forever. What had Katsuki done? Usually his explosions were quick, and while Kacchan could generate them one after the another that required a lot of sweat. It wasn't that hot in here. So what had he done? It had to be something to do with whatever he'd taken from his belt.

Eventually the explosion faded. Izuku felt his eyes widen as he watched High End fall to his knees. The Noumu fell forward onto its face. Bakugou turned his eyes to him. Izuku could read the dismissal in the red orbs but he knew High End wasn't finished yet. As Katsuki took a step towards him, High End moved. His large hand gripped the vigilante's ankle. Bakugou was quick to react. He spun, slamming his hands down on High End's arm to explode the offending hand from his ankle.

It worked, but High End then rose, holding up the stump of his arm as the bone, muscle and nerves reformed. "Good fight!" the Noumu cheered, unconcerned with the healing state of his skin and hand.

Imoku wasn't as relaxed. It was definitely too slow. He'd seen High End fight for years, and this was noticeably slower than it had been. Still, Izuku was confident the Noumu had what it took to kill Bakugou. He might be deteriorating with his healing, but Imoku could feel that High End was more stable when he spoke to him with his quirk active. He would have to deal with it later.

High End swung again at Bakugou with his newly formed hand. Katsuki responded as he always did, with an explosion. It peeled the newly formed skin back.

"Do you want a hand?" Imoku yelled to the Noumu.

"No!" came the instant response.

Izuku laughed. He had expected that reply.

"Wouldn't work, fucking Deku," came a response from Bakugou.

Imoku didn't say anything. He knew what Katsuki was referring to. The first time Bakugou had confronted him, he had stopped him from producing sparks to create his explosions. That was over ten years ago. Bakugou had obviously learned some new tricks in the meantime. That was okay, he had as well.

High End caught Katsuki with a punch. The vigilante was punted back until he hit the first row of seats that surrounded the ring. He crashed into them, tumbling further back into the next few rows until he came to a halt. Bakugou was all limbs.

He growled as High End strode towards him. "Fucker!" Bakugou growled.

Imoku couldn't help his widening eyes as he fished in his belt again. He focused his public quirk on his old friend, feeling the sparks in Katsuki's body. There were so many and he couldn't get a lock on them. He wasn't meant to. He really had to stretch spark to affect something that was really so subtle. It was far easier to affect Bakugou's hands. The spark was bigger. But he would do whatever it took. He, Imoku Kakurete was walking away from today.

 _Shit!_ He thought to himself. The expletive wasn't that refined but Bakugou was so predictable. The previous explosion had affected High End, and in the vigilante's small mind, that meant a bigger explosion was obviously better. High End would recover, so long as his head wasn't too badly damaged, but Izuku knew the look on Bakugou's face. He was going to make the biggest explosion he could. It wasn't hard to figure out what the things he pulled from his belt were. They must be concentrated sweat pouches or something similar.

"You are dead fucker!" Katsuki screamed as he got up and charged towards High End. Imoku noticed something different with the way he ran. His fists were holding something and… There was a glint on his glove. A knife, perhaps?

The Noumu meet Bakugou's charge. The creation wasn't afraid. Imoku thought that it didn't know how to be afraid. He could see that there were more of the explosive things in Bakugou's hands and Imoku focused on nulling the spark but there was something wrong.

"Ha!" Bakugou laughed an instant before impact with High End.

If Imoku had thought the explosion earlier was bad, this was worse. He was forced to hunker down in the tunnel, shielding his head with his arms. Something still hit him that wasn't just the shock wave. It was smaller and denser, and stun, almost like hail. The whole building shook. The noise was incredible, and Imoku could hear smaller, secondary explosions forming.

Then he heard something splatter. It wasn't a single noise but continued, as if there was a gentle pitter patter of rain. Izuku looked around. He didn't have to look far. There were little things falling to the ground at the entrance to the tunnel. There were some on him, those that had been flung more horizontally.

There was the sickening smell of burning flesh. Izuku gagged. It had been years since he'd smelt it but it brought back memories. It wasn't much of a comfort that it wasn't his flesh burning this time. Izuku swallowed hard, pushing down the nausea he felt at the reminder of his past. He thought he'd gotten over that.

He would be getting over it very soon. Just as soon as Katsuki was gone for got. It was a catharsis he had been looking forward to for a while.

The smell didn't linger, though the pitter patter of rain did. That was a problem. Imoku knew what it meant. If Kacchan had done it right, it wouldn't be High End making the kill. Imoku focused. He knew what the glint on Bakugou's glove had been for now. It had been a blade, possibly one that split to make a hole, so of course his old friend had done it right. Ten years wouldn't have been enough to change that, and for Bakugou, Izuku knew he had always had the thought that there was no kill like overkill. His blade would have made an opening, so he could force his fist actually _into_ High End. This explosion had come from within the Noumu. The pitter patter was the bits of High End raining back down into the ring.

Well, that might have worked on High End, but Izuku preferred the subtler approach. He suspected Kacchan would be wanting evidence of his supposed corruption. He wouldn't make the same attack.

The explosion faded as the pitter patter did. Imoku was prepared for the result. High End was… It was a misnomer to say he was down, or rather he was down to his legs. They were still standing but as Imoku watched, they fell. The black skin on them lacked the sheen of the living. It was darker and almost granular. Carbonised. At least on the outside. The rest of the Noumu's body couldn't be seen. Imoko looked around for High End's head. If it survived, then he'd have to kill Bakugou, but he'd still have a champion for his fighting ring.

The smoke cleared and allowed him to see Bakugou was holding it by the skin flap.

"Impressive," Imoku murmured. He was forced to admit that Kacchan had come a long way with his control. When they were younger, Katsuki had just produced explosions. Now it appeared he could regulate the output. In this case, he'd made his explosion bigger (with help) and a hell of a lot hotter.

Bakugou held up High End's head and put his other hand behind it.

Izuku knew what he was about to do. The explosion was destructive and Imoku looked down at his suit as another part of High End splattered against him. The suit was already dusty but now it was also covered in charcoal. He doubted it could be laundered.

"Your turn!" Katsuki growled. He sounded happy.

"That's two you owe me for today," Imoku murmured.

"Arrogant fucker!" Bakugou snarled, and released what was left of High End's head as he strode towards Imoku. Small explosions appeared on his palms but Izuku could see the strain it was causing. Kacchan was getting tired.

"Do you really think you will survive this?" Izuku asked, reaching out to suppressed the explosions on Katsuki's palms.

The vigilante grinned at him. "That's not going to save you, Deku!" He crowed, triumphantly.

Apparently Bakugou hadn't been lying when he'd earlier said it wouldn't work. He had learned some new tricks in the last ten years. Well, so had he.

Imoku braced himself. Unlike their previous confrontation, over ten years ago, they were about the same size now. He took three quick steps to close with Bakugou. The vigilante saw it, and launched small explosions which Izuku brushed off. He'd seen them before. He didn't even try to suppressed the sparks there. Instead he swung his fist in, aiming to punch Katsuki.

The vigilante saw it coming and dodged, lunging forward, his right arm drawn back. A right hook. Kacchan hadn't changed. Izuku dodged, causing Bakugou to overreach. His hands flashed up, grabbing Katsuki's forearm and using the momentum to flip the vigilante. Instead of pulling away though, Imoku allowed himself to be pulled down so that he was pinning Bakugou.

The vigilante bucked. Imoku wasn't stronger, but he had the better position. "You always lead with a right hook, Kacchan," he told his old friend.

That lead to a particularly hard buck. It almost shook Imoku loose but he manage to remain seated. They engaged in a limited fist fight. He hadn't managed to pin Katsuki's arms. Explosions burned Imoku but he had felt this pain before. He'd felt it for years, everyday that Bakugou bullied him. He wasn't going to be distracted now. Instead, he slammed one hand down, onto Katsuki's chest and released a string of sparks. It was like a defibrillator.

The shock to Kacchan's heart caused him to still for a moment, his face stretched into a rictus of pain. That allowed Imoku to pin his arms.

"Fucking, Deki!" Katsuki managed to spit out with an impressive amount of vitriol. He tried to buck again, though the motion was weaker. "Fucker couldn't win in a fair fight."

Imoku rolled his shoulders, letting his weight press further into Bakugou's abdomen. He was definitely going to have burns from the explosions Katsuki had managed to hit him with. Bakugou already did. He knew there would be a hand shaped burn over his heart.

Izuku shifted forward again, punching his old friend. It was a sucker punch given that Bakugou couldn't defend himself. It felt good. Kacchan snarled at him.

"I know, Kacchan," he told his friend. "But, do you know what the most important lesson you ever taught me was?"

Izuku put his hand over Katsuki's face, careful to avoid his biting teeth. It would require another application of his quirk to make sure Bakugou died. His heart rate was probably returning to normal now.

"I taught you nothing, you fucking Deku!"

"No, Kacchan, you taught me the most important thing for anyone to learn!"

"What?" the vigilante demanded.

Izuku leaned forward, careful not to shift his weight enough that Katsuki could buck him off. "Life isn't fair," he whispered, before letting another round of sparks attack Bakugou. This time they were in his brain. Through Spark, Izuku could feel the way his sparks interacted with the currents in Katsuki's brain. He could feel the way they were interrupting them.

Bakugou convulsed. It was uncontrolled. He began foaming at the mouth. It was not a pretty way to die but then there wasn't really any pretty way to die. There were peaceful ways to die, and those that weren't so peaceful. This was not peaceful either. It felt as if Bakugou was still fighting him but Izuku knew it was only the physical reaction.

He stood up, tugging at his jacket to settle it correctly as he looked down at Kacchan's body. Izuku closed his eyes briefly. There were a lot of memories running riot through his head at the moment and he pushed them back into a semblance of order. Too many childhood memories had come to the surface now.

"Good bye, Kacchan," he said softly before he looked up and around the ring. There were some small fires burning and there were bits of High End everywhere, but the Noumu was not reforming. It was dead. The place was a mess. The glass on Dabi's office was shattered and the fire villain's body had been driven into the stands by the explosions.

With the noise and the exposure, the police would be here soon. Imoku reached into his jacket pocket, feeling for his phone. Thankfully it was still there. He pulled it out. It was still in working order but he expected that. It did have a heavy duty protective case and was hardened against electrical shocks. There were enough people with electrical quirks that such hardening had become common enough. He taped the number from memory.

"Kurogiri," Imoku said, when the warp villain picked up.

"Imoku," the other man greeted him.

"Transportation would be appreciated," Imoku didn't waste time with explanations. The faster he was out of here, the better. "Two portals," he added, remembering Dabi's underling who had been listening in. If he was still alive, then he would need to be dealt with. "The corridor outside Dabi's office, and the fighting ring," Imoku gave the locations, knowing Kurogiri would know them.

As expected a portal opened in front of him. Imoku stepped forward without hesitation. He didn't look back.

After all, destruction simply heralded a new beginning. And this destruction was the end of heroes. Now, he could finally say he'd won.

Imoku smiled. Sensei had been right. It was about power. Now he had power.

And he would use it

 **-afop-**

You can chop and change these a bit to fit in with the ending. So I could have had Izuku need Dabi, while still crying at Bakugou or actually have him fight while not needing Dabi. But I think the option I chose, not needing Dabi and crying shows a bit more of Izuku and the fact that if there is victory on the line, Izuku realises that pride is not necessary. After all, as the victor he gets to say what happened. But I thought the crying was a nice throw back to the past, and it annoyed Bakugou enough for an opening, and that's all it had to do.

Thanks for reading.

The real end. :p


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